The Australian Stud Book is yet to officially publish its finalised breeding season data, but for the curious among us, the individual stats for each stallion have appeared, allowing an analysis of the books of the leading stallions across the spring of 2024.
On an overall level, the average book for the top 20 busiest seasons of 2024 fell slightly from 179 in 2023 to 177 last year. There were 22 stallions with books of over 150 in 2023, but only 16 in 2024.
Of the top 20 active sires for 2023 to return in 2024 – only seven of them recorded increased books in 2024. Except for Toronado and Zoustar, they were stallions all in the early stages of their careers.
Australia’s past three champion sires, I Am Invincible, Written Tycoon and Snitzel are all now over 20 years old and as a result, their books are being more tightly managed. I Am Invincible’s 143 mares is his lowest since 2011, Snitzel’s 114 his smallest book since 2009 and Written Tycoon’s 63 his lowest on record.
The most active sires list is dominated by emerging stallions.
Alabama Express, whose oldest progeny are three years old, celebrated his first Group 1 winner in the spring thanks to Treasurethemoment. He also served more mares than any other Australian stallion with 223. That was one more than last year, which also included several covers up until March, to northern hemisphere time.
His book in 2024 included blue hen Baggy Green, and Group 1 winners Forbidden Love, Mariamia, More Joyous, Toffee Tongue and Unforgotten among others.
Second on the 2024 list of busiest sires is Coolmore’s Home Affairs, his biggest book to date in what was his third season at stud. The reports on his first crop, which are currently yearlings, were very strong and that was backed up when they averaged $390,000 at the Magic Millions sale, helped by the $3.2 million paid for the filly out of Sunlight.
Third on the list was 2023’s most active stallion Tassort, with 213, undoubtedly helped by the fact that he got a Group 1 winner, Manaal, in his first crop. For a stallion who started out at $11,000, the son of Brazen Beau has had a massive start to his career, with 895 mares serviced across his first five seasons.
Widden’s emerging young stallion Zousain had 211 mares last year. From the same crop as Tassort, he has had 973 mares in five seasons, including that number at a service fee of $27,500 last season. He has 30 winners from just two crops to the track.
The final member of the 200 club is a new face to the stallion ranks. Shinzo was Australia’s most popular first-season sire last year with 207 mares. The 2023 Golden Slipper winner was extremely popular and his book is the highest by a first-season sire in Australia since his Colmore barnmate King’s Legacy in 2021.
Newgate’s Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Ozzmosis was the second most popular first-season sire with 189 covers, while barnmate King’s Gambit had 171.
Pierata’s move to Yulong in 2023 has proven an enormous fillip for his career. After 191 mares in his first season in Victoria, his number rose to 197 last year off the back of the two-year-old performances of Coleman.
As Written Tycoon’s books decline, the son of Pierro has been one of the main beneficiaries. Last season, mares of the quality of Away Game, Chain Of Lightning, Duais, Espiona, Foxplay. Imperatriz, In Her Time, Prowess and Viddora visited him.
Top 20 Sires in Australia by book size in 2024
*data is preliminary and is subject to change
Kia Ora’s Farnan again proved popular with 181 mares, taking his total to 714 across his first four seasons.
Zoustar’s book rose to 179 from 155 along with his fee rise to $275,000. The decision not to shuttle him in 2024 no doubt played a part in his greater availability.
The simple formula of multiplying book size by service fee to determine annual value makes Zoustar 2024’s most valuable stallions with a total of $49.2 million in theoretical stud fees across the season.
I Am Invincible was second on that measure at $39.3 million, while Snitzel is third on $28. 2 million.
Extreme Choice is level with Zoustar and I Am Invincible when to comes to service fee ($275,000), but off a managed book because of his fertility served 78 mares for a total theoretical value of $21.5 million.
Extreme Choice served 108 mares last season, but 22 of those were after January 1, which is permitted. Newgate tends to extend his season, so his book will likely increase once final figures are published in March.
Notable in the list were two freshmen whose stallion careers never got off the ground, Militarize and Golden Mile. Both have since been gelded and returned to work as racehorses.
Arrowfield endured some misfortune with a couple of its emerging stallions The Autumn Sun sat out the season with a pelvic issue, while Castelvecchio had life-saving surgery having served 64 mares in the first half of the season,
Newgate was by far the busiest stud farm in Australia in 2024, with 2083 covers, while Widden had 1429 across its two bases.
Top sires by theoretical annual value (Book size x service fee)
