He’s been around the breeding scene for more than a decade but Brodie Becker reckons the best of Artie Schiller is still ahead of him.
Becker, who stands the 18 year-old at Stockwell Thoroughbreds at Diggers Rest, supports his belief with the most recent results produced over the past few days.
It started last Thursday when the nicely named Maserartie Bay, trained by the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace team, made it two wins in a row with an impressive victory over 1411m at Seymour.
Bred by Rushton Park, the three year-old was a graduate of their 2018 Inglis Premier Yearling draft.
In Perth on Saturday, a four year-old daughter of Artie Schiller – Flirtini – won the Group 3 Prince of Wales Stakes (1000m). The Simon Miller trained mare picked up a cheque for $88,000 and holds a nomination for the Winterbottom Stakes (1000m) at Ascot later this month.
And over in America Artie Schiller made his presence on Saturday where he had Bowies Hero racing in the Breeders Mile Cup. Coming off a Group 1 victory in last month’s Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland, Kentucky, Bowies Hero finished a close-up fifth in Saturday’s race at Santa Anita Park.
Becker said the results of the past few days supports his theory that Artie Schiller still has plenty to offer and believes a horse like Maserartie Bay looks the real deal after notching up his second win from three starts.
“Artie is flying,”’ Becker said. “He has had a massive weekend.”
“Maserartie Bay is looking like he is going to be the real horse.”
“The mother, Navica, is here on the farm and is back to Artie this year. He put the best cover into her for about three seasons and then we then went straight from there to the office and watched that horse (Maserartie Bay) bolt in. It was great.”
“Maserartie Bay is showing a lot of promise and they will make sure he goes the right way and does the right things.”
Becker explained that when his father, Mike, was at Independent Studs he brought Artie Schiller to Australia from America to stand at his first season at stud in 2007
“But through the Equine Influenza, dad hit a bit of a rough patch and wasn’t able to buy the horse,’’ Becker said.
“And Pauls Mill (Farm) in America, who used to own the horse, then sold him to WinStar and they sold the Southern Hemisphere rights and we helped Emirates Park purchase 50 per cent of him.”
“We had him all the way through until he did his two seasons in the Hunter Valley and then last season the opportunity came up for me to purchase him so I went all out, spoke to dad, and bought the horse. I bought out the Americans and Emirates Park so we have owned him ourselves for the last two seasons.”
Becker believes that the potential displayed by three year-old Maserartie Bay shows that the top stock is still coming.
He also believes they will reap the benefits of Artie Schiller’s stint in the Hunter Valley where he covered his best ever quality book of mares.
“He always been supported by some of the strongest breeders and went up to the Hunter Valley on the back of (his son) Flying Artie. He got some serious quality horses,” Becker said.
“The best is still ahead of him. It’s not really going to change his career where he is going to become big boom horse, but it is just going to reaffirm to the people who are supporting him that he is the right horse to use.”
Becker admits Artie Schiller, who is now permanently based in Australia, had been a difficult horse to deal with in the past, but says handler Bec Drylie has been the key to “repairing him” and is now completely relaxed.
“Ï have never seen him so relaxed,” Becker said.
“He is just covering mares like he has never covered them before at the moment and getting them in foal as well which is a bonus.”
Becker said he’s purposely limited Artie Schiller’s book of mares to about 60. “That sort of saw him out last year and he was over it by 60,” he said
Becker believes there are plenty of good Artie Schiller’s in the pipeline.
“But the way he is covering this year, I reckon he could do 100 but we are not pushing him and keeping him to two a day and just keeping him relaxed and 60 will see him out. Back in the old days 60 mares was a full book and you were doing well to have 60, but now unless you’ve got 200 now your stallion is not important.”
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