We had such a huge response to our story last week highlighting some great proven sires priced at $11,000 and below, we decided to up the ante slightly and find some more of these affordable sires that can help a budget conscious breeder get a dream result.
Standing at Blue Gum Farm in Victoria this spring at a fee of $16,500 is Flying Artie, a Group I winning and Group I producing sire that is importantly completely free of Danehill blood. He runs at 56% winners to runners and was making news on Saturday when his brilliant mare Asfoora returned to win a stakes race at Caulfield. Group I placed last preparation she heads next to the Group I MVRC Moir Stakes and her dam Golden Child is already booked to Flying Artie.
Standing at Widden Stud Victoria, Gold Standard is a mirror image of his champion sire Sebring and stands at aa fee of $13,200. Gold Standard had modest opportunity in his initial years at stud, but when he produced Group I winning filly Sheeza Belter in his first crop things started to look up quickly for the former Spendthrift sire. He covered 124 mares last spring after switching to Widden and breeders that get on board this year may reap the benefits of following behind his best every crop of foals.
Standing at Vinery Stud is Headwater, a speed son of champion sire Exceed and Excel priced at $13,200. He runs at 58% winners to runners and not a week goes past that he doesn’t produce winners. He had five winners last Saturday headed by his Randwick winner Strait Acer, who has won four of nine starts and just shy of $200,000 in prizemoney.
Standing at Kooringal Stud near Wagga in south-west NSW is Royal Ascot hero Merchant Navy, who is priced at $13,200. A dual Group I winning sprinter by Fastnet Rock, he’s already a G1 sire of Royal Merchant winner of the Group I SAJC Goodwood Handicap. With his oldest progeny just turned four, Merchant Navy has already sired nine winners this season and is third behind only Russian Revolution and Hellbent on the third season sires by winners list.
Standing at Twin Hills Stud near Cootamundra in NSW is Smart Missile, another proven Group I producing son of Fastnet Rock that also stands at $13,200. He runs at 67.5% winners to runners and has sired 24 stakes-winners. He also comes from the same female family as influential sire of sires Northern Meteor, which opens the door to some interesting line breeding for mares that carry his blood.
Standing at Eureka Stud in Queensland is Lonhro’s blueblood son Encryption, who stands at a fee of $13,200. He finished second to only Justify (USA) last season on the first crop sires list by earnings with six winners headed by his Group II winner Cifrado. He has covered over 500 mares in his first four seasons so has plenty of ammo in the locker to build on his promising start.
