Boom times for breeders

AUSTRALIAN breeders, despairing last spring when equine influenza hobbled the thoroughbred industry, are back riding high as stallion service fees rise after the dizzy prices of last month's Sydney yearling sales.

Arrowfield is leading the charge to take advantage of the boom and the booming race performances of its stallions' progeny. It has announced that Hussonet, sire of emerging champion Weekend Hussler, will stand in the NSW Hunter Valley at $137,500 next season, up almost $100,000 on last year's $38,500.

Arrowfield boss John Messara said yesterday that last September he could not have imagined that equine influenza could have become a thing of the past so quickly as the market showed its resilience and international players such as Dubai's Sheikh Mohammed invested heavily in the Australian thoroughbred.

Hussonet, bought cheaply in Chile to stand at $24,750 in 2003, had been at $38,500 for two seasons. Last year, the horse served about 140 mares, but Messara will restrict him to 120 to ensure the stud gets another four or five years from him.

Even with 30-40 of the matings to be with Arrowfield mares, including Miss Finland and Alinghi, two of the best racehorses this century, the rise will bring in at least another $8 million for the stud next spring.

Last season's leading stallion Flying Spur also will stand at $137,500, up from $99,000 on the back of another good racing season with three group 1 winners — Forensics, Casino Prince and Dealer Principal.

Arrowfield will keep the service fee of Australia's dearest stallion, Redoute's Choice, at $330,000 after he had 49 yearlings sell for an average of $791,735 this season, with the top colt at $2.7 million and the top filly at $1.8 million. "The Australian horse is making it big worldwide, and the internationals are investing here, too," Messara said.

Hussonet and Flying Spur will be the equal-third-dearest stallions behind Redoute's Choice and Encosta De Lago.