Figures released by Michael Ford, Keeper of the Australian Stud Book, show that Thoroughbred coverings for 2008 will be around 26,100 mares with Fastnet Rock (pictured) the busiest of all stallions last spring covering 248 mares at Coolmore in the Hunter Valley.

Using 2006 as the latest yardstick season, when 26,900 mares were covered rather than the equine influenza affected 2007 season, this means 800 fewer mares were covered.

Mr Ford expects the 2009 foal crop to reach 18,000 foals compared to 18,600 for the 2007 crop.

The leading stallions, based on the number of mares covered, include 14 Australian-bred horses in the top twenty rankings, but interestingly Australia’s most expensive sire Redoute’s Choice (service fee $330,000) covered only 144 mares in 2008, his smallest book of mares since 2003 when he covered 114.

Victorian based Eliza Park’s Bel Esprit who covered the biggest book of mares in Australia in 2007 with 266 as a result of EI, reported a dramatic drop in numbers going back to 110 at a fee of $33,000.

Other Victorians facing the same scenario also incurred big drops in numbers including Elvstroem from 222 to 79, Dash for Cash 221 to 102 and Gonski 205 to 110.

How the EI spike will affect the careers of these stallions down the track will make for an interesting assessment in a few years time.

Top 20 Sires by Coverings in 2008

Stallion/Sire	Stud	Mares Covered	Service Fee
1/ Fastnet Rock/ Danehill (USA)	Coolmore, NSW	248	$82,500
2// Encosta de Lago / Fairy King (USA)	Coolmore, NSW	227	$302,500
3/ God’s Own / Redoute’s Choice	Eliza Park, Vic	196	$38,500
4/Choisir/ Danehill Dancer (IRE)	Coolmore, NSW	194	$33,000
5/ Lion Heart (USA) / Tale of the Cat	Coolmore, NSW	191	$16,500
6/ Snippetson / Snippets	Widden Stud, NSW	187	$9,900
7/Holy Roman Emperor (IRE) / Danehill	Coolmore, NSW	180	$44,000
8/ Show a Heart / Brave Warrior	Glenlogan Park Stud, Qld	176	$33,000
9/ More Than Ready (USA) / Southern Halo	Vinery Stud, NSW	175	$110,000
10/ Oratorio (IRE) / Danehill	Coolmore, NSW	173	$27,500
11/ Flying Spur / Danehill (USA)	Arrowfield Stud, NSW	171	$137,500
12/ Not a Single Doubt / Redoute’s Choice	Arrowfield Stud, NSW	161	$13,750
13/ Stratum / Redoute’s Choice	Widden Stud, NSW	159	$33,000
14/Dylan Thomas (IRE) / Danehill	Coolmore, NSW	157	$44,000
15/Bernardini (USA) AP Indy	Darley, NSW	155	$55,000
16/ Lonhro / Octagonal	Darley, NSW	154	$55,000
17/Commands / Danehill (USA)	Darley, NSW	151	$66,000
18 /General Nediym / Nediym (IRE)	Widden Stud, NSW	148	$60,500
19/Exceed and Excel / Danehill (USA)	Darley, NSW	148	$110,000
20/Strategic / Zeditave	Darley, NSW	148	$16,500

Of the 768 stallions that covered mares, compared to 858 in 2006, such is Danehill’s posthumous influence that 114 are his sons with a further 56 being his grandsons.

Nearly half of the stallions covering mares descend from the all conquering Northern Dancer.

Mr Ford was grateful to all studs that, for the first time, lodged the covering details of their stallions in the next month after they occurred.

This was a significant change to the Stud Book operations which had previously not changed in over sixty years.

In the event of another disease outbreak or natural disaster, early access to information could provide useful assistance.

Facts and figures from Australian Studbook Release.