The 2016 Inglis Australian Weanling and Broodmare Sale this week produced
outstanding results as the buoyant trade experienced at yearling sales earlier
this year flowed through to the first of the major breeding stock sales of the
year.A sensational four straight days of trade across weanlings, race fillies and broodmares resulted in total turnover in excess of $34.5m, the best result in six years, with the overall clearance 87%.
The current mood is one of confidence with growing international investment in our bloodstock highlighted this week where the leading buyers list featured overseas based entities such as China Horse Club, Sun Stud, Aquis Farm, Spendthrift Farm and Yu Long Investments.
The breeding season is now fast approaching with all major farms having released their stallion rosters which make for interesting reading. Click here for the Breednet Service Fees page.
The release of fees is usually greeted by a howl of dissatisfaction from broodmare owners claiming they are too high, which in some years has been justified, but this year it seems things are a little different.
Coolmore's champion sire Fastnet Rock is again listed as private and just below him are four powerhouse sires in Redoute's Choice (Arrowfield), Snitzel (Arrowfield), Exceed and Excel (Darley) and Medaglia D'Oro (USA) (Darley) all priced at $110,000.
Yes that's right, you can go to the best stallions in the country for $110,000!
Back in 2007 and 2008, Redoute's Choice commanded a fee of $330,000, Encosta de Lago also cracked $302,500 in 2008 and stood for $220,000 in each year either side of 2008.
Fastnet Rock went into the stratosphere in 2013 at a fee of $275,000 and has been listed private ever since, but we can assume his fee this year is nowhere near that.
More conservative top end fees have made for a competitive marketplace in recent years and it's not hard to see why international investors find our industry so appealing.
Try spending $100,000 Australian dollars on a service fee to one of the best stallions in either Europe or the US and you won't get much as seen in the table below.
|
Sire |
2016 Service Fee |
Service Fee Australian dollars |
|
Dubawi (Darley, UK) |
225,000 pounds |
$435,965 |
|
Tapit (Gainesway, Kentucky) |
$US300,000 |
$400,694 |
|
American Pharoah (Coolmore, USA) |
$US200,000 |
$267,062 |
|
War Front (Claiborne, Kentucky) |
$US200,000 |
$267,062 |
|
Frankel (Banstead Manor, UK) |
125,000 pounds |
$242,226 |
|
Medaglia D'Oro (Darley, USA) |
$US150,000 |
$200,220 |
|
Sea the Stars (Gilltown Stud, Ire) |
125,000 euros |
$191,609 |
|
Invincible Spirit (Irish National Stud, IRE) |
125,000 euros |
$191,609 |
|
Pioneerofthenile (Winstar Farm, Kentucky) |
$US125,000 |
$166,853 |
|
Dansili (Banstead Manor, UK) |
85,000 pounds |
$164,667 |
|
Oasis Dream (Banstead Manor, UK) |
75,000 pounds |
$145,333 |
Rising prizemoney on the track and our perception as being a gateway into the Asian bloodstock/ racing world have made Australia a very attractive option for international breeders looking to expand their business.
Their increased participation is driving the current upward trend seen at our sales and the only real downside is that it does make it harder for local breeders to upgrade their own stock in the face of such fierce competition.
The globalization of the Australian thoroughbred industry which started back in the eighties with the shuttle sire concept is clearly still a work in progress.
