For those who need fact and have less than $20,000 to spend on a service fee then the following sires are among those you need to look very hard at.
Magic Albert (1998), Yarraman Park - $13,750
So many breeders spend countless hours poring over pedigrees looking for an
outcross sire that might work and right here is a proven one that works very
well indeed. Completely free of Northern Dancer, Mr Prospector and Star Kingdom, Magic Albert is an outcross for just about everything as a son of Zeditave from a daughter of former Widden Stud shuttler Salieri (USA).
With 66% winners to runners and progeny earnings topping $26 million, Magic Albert is the sire of 18 stakes-winners – four of them Group I winners – Ilovethiscity, Albert the Fat, Magic Cape and Fighting Warrior.
He consistently sires 100 plus winners a season and his progeny have made their mark not only in Australia, but also New Zealand, South Africa and Asia, particularly Hong Kong which has proven a very strong market for this colts.
In the sale ring, Magic Albert had nine yearlings average $92,222 at Magic Millions this year, while at Inglis Easter Session II he had five yearlings average $232,000.
Admittedly among those five youngsters at Newmarket was the half-brother to Golden Slipper winner Mossfun that sold for $750,000 to Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum and while that was an anomaly in terms of the overall sales picture for Magic Albert, he was hardly an anchor in the sale ring now was he!
What it proves is that the right individual with the right pedigree by Magic Albert can make the big bucks as a yearling and when Mossfun's breeders Ian and Linda Duckworth sent Eye for Fun to Magic Albert they had no idea she would become the dam of a Golden Slipper winner.
They were just looking for a proven sire that would give their mare the best chance possible as they had done the year before when they sent Eye for Fun to Mossman, who stood that year at $13,200.
In looking for proven affordable value, the Duckworth's have bred a Golden Slipper winner and a yearling that has made life changing money for them and that's a lesson well worth remembering.
Al Maher (2001), Emirates Park - $16,500
As a three-quarter brother-in-blood to champion sire Redoute's Choice, Al Maher
is a Group I winner that's bred in the purple, but this son of Danehill has
never quite had the wow factor of his famous sibling.That said, he's built a formidable record with 61% winners to runners and progeny earnings topping $21 million, his 22 stakes-winners led by Group I winners Fat Al, Diamond Drille and unbeaten three year-old Almalad.
The latter pair are both with Gai Waterhouse and expected to make their presence felt in Group I events this spring.
In the sale ring, Al Maher is no Redoute's Choice, but his progeny invariably find a buyer and have sold for up to $320,000.
They aren't generally two
year-old types, which makes Magic Millions a tricky market place for them, but
a nice one placed in Inglis Easter Session II can deliver a good result.
Casino Prince (2003), Vinery Stud - $16,500
In the news last weekend when his son Star Rolling took the Group II MRC PB
Lawrence Stakes, Casino Prince started his career with Patinack Farm and now
stands alongside his superstar son All Too Hard at Vinery Stud.
Casino Prince is the sire of 57% winners to runners with progeny earnings topping $9 million, his six stakes-winners led by two Group I winners in All Too Hard and Escado.
He is the best sire son of now retired champion sire Flying Spur and in physical appearance owes quite a bit to his dam sire Last Tycoon (IRE).
In the sale ring, Casino Prince obviously hit a high with All Too Hard, who as a half-brother to world champion Black Caviar topped Inglis Easter in 2011 when he sold for $1,025,000.
While that result was an anomaly, his results this year would indicate there is a good market for his progeny with 10 yearlings at Magic Millions averaging $124,500.
Black Caviar's breeder Rick Jamieson was happy enough to send Helsinge back to Casino Prince in 2012, so has a yearling full sister to All Too Hard and if he's good enough for one of the best producers in the country, he should be plenty good enough for the majority of broodmare owners to consider strongly this year.
Dane Shadow (2001), Kitchwin Hills - $11,000
As a Group III winning son of Danehill, Dane Shadow started off at a modest
fee, but with a Group I winner in his first crop in Shellscrape he was quickly into
stride and with three Group I winners since in Red Tracer, Hurtle Myrtle and
Shadows in the Sun, has proven himself no one hit wonder.
With 60% winners to runners and progeny earnings topping $15 million, Dane Shadow has proven his stripes despite having only 238 foals from his first four crops.
From 2009 onwards, Dane Shadow started covering bigger and better books of mares and those resulting foals, now two, three and four year-olds hold the promise of better things to come.
Dane Shadow sired eight individual two year-old winners last season and 30 individual three year-old winners, so has the numbers there to suggest an upswing is imminent.
In the sale ring, the progeny of Dane Shadow invariably meet with keen interest from trainers, his best result $560,000 for a sister to Hurtle Myrtle sold in 2012 at Inglis Easter.
At Magic Millions this year he had five yearlings average $88,000, while his best result of the year was a filly from Peace Academy that made $185,000 in Inglis Easter Session II when sold to Star Thoroughbreds.
Casino Prince (2003), Vinery Stud - $16,500
In the news last weekend when his son Star Rolling took the Group II MRC PB
Lawrence Stakes, Casino Prince started his career with Patinack Farm and now
stands alongside his superstar son All Too Hard at Vinery Stud.Casino Prince is the sire of 57% winners to runners with progeny earnings topping $9 million, his six stakes-winners led by two Group I winners in All Too Hard and Escado.
He is the best sire son of now retired champion sire Flying Spur and in physical appearance owes quite a bit to his dam sire Last Tycoon (IRE).
In the sale ring, Casino Prince obviously hit a high with All Too Hard, who as a half-brother to world champion Black Caviar topped Inglis Easter in 2011 when he sold for $1,025,000.
While that result was an anomaly, his results this year would indicate there is a good market for his progeny with 10 yearlings at Magic Millions averaging $124,500.
Black Caviar's breeder Rick Jamieson was happy enough to send Helsinge back to Casino Prince in 2012, so has a yearling full sister to All Too Hard and if he's good enough for one of the best producers in the country, he should be plenty good enough for the majority of broodmare owners to consider strongly this year.
Dane Shadow (2001), Kitchwin Hills - $11,000
As a Group III winning son of Danehill, Dane Shadow started off at a modest
fee, but with a Group I winner in his first crop in Shellscrape he was quickly into
stride and with three Group I winners since in Red Tracer, Hurtle Myrtle and
Shadows in the Sun, has proven himself no one hit wonder.With 60% winners to runners and progeny earnings topping $15 million, Dane Shadow has proven his stripes despite having only 238 foals from his first four crops.
From 2009 onwards, Dane Shadow started covering bigger and better books of mares and those resulting foals, now two, three and four year-olds hold the promise of better things to come.
Dane Shadow sired eight individual two year-old winners last season and 30 individual three year-old winners, so has the numbers there to suggest an upswing is imminent.
In the sale ring, the progeny of Dane Shadow invariably meet with keen interest from trainers, his best result $560,000 for a sister to Hurtle Myrtle sold in 2012 at Inglis Easter.
At Magic Millions this year he had five yearlings average $88,000, while his best result of the year was a filly from Peace Academy that made $185,000 in Inglis Easter Session II when sold to Star Thoroughbreds.
