Roster Guided by Champion Sires

Many of the greatest horses around the globe have been bred upon the adage of ‘breed the best to the best and hope for the best,’ and history shows that success often does create more success.

Spendthrift Australia have developed their stallion roster with a focus on standing exceptional sons of champion sires so that breeders have a greater chance of high prices in the sale ring and winning races that count.

KKnowing that you are sending your mare to a stallion with a successful sireline is a considerable factor in the breeding decision and it increases the odds of his speed, soundness and temperament being passed on to the progeny.

Take a look at the leading sires list and you will see that majority of the stallions are backed by generations of top sires, attesting to the age-old saying about breeding to the best.

We can see this philosophy represented in the local stallions standing on the roster: Overshare – an identical type to his champion sire I Am Invincible, Gold Standard – who follows in the mould of his Golden Slipper-winning champion sire Sebring, and Swear – a son of the breed-shaping Redoute’s Choice and a fourth-generation champion sire.

But Spendthrift Australia have also invested the same focus into finding shuttle stallions that will provide opportunity to every breeder in the Australian marketplace.

New in 2020, Omaha Beach (USA) (War Front) is a strong addition to the roster being a son of the international super sire War Front who is making waves globally. Omaha Beach, a triple G1 winner with true breed-shaping potential, gives breeders the opportunity to send their mares to a stallion with a successful sireline. At 18 years old War Front has established himself as a prolific stallion throughout the world producing stakes winners in the USA, England, Ireland, Hong Kong, France, Canada, the United Arab Emirates and Australia. With 21 individual G1 winners, and a stakes winners to runners’ ratio of 14.8%, War Front’s meteoric rise to stardom will see him continue the Danzig-line legacy.

War Front became a stakes winner at three, winning the Princelet S. over 1900m, but flourished later in his career running over shorter distances. As a 4-year-old War Front won the G2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. over 1200m, a race that was promoted to G1 status in 2010 due to the high quality of its winners in previous years.

However, as a stallion War Front has demonstrated extreme versatility producing quality stakes winners over distances from 1000m to 2400m, on both turf and dirt surfaces with a stakes-winning rate of 14.8% for his runners on dirt, and a stakes-winning rate of 16.8% on turf.

In 2018 War Front was awarded a G1 winner in Australia, despite only having had 11 runners, when Homesman won the Underwood Stakes at Caulfield. War Front’s effectiveness at instilling precocity into his stock is highlighted by his feat of siring three Dewhurst winners in US Navy Flag, Declaration of War and War Command, with 42% of his progeny winning as 2-year-olds.

War Front commenced stud duties at Claiborne Farm in 2007 for a fee of US$12,500 before rising to US$60,000 in 2012, US$80,000 in 2013, US$150,000 in 2014, and US$200,000 in 2016. Since 2017 War Front has stood for US$250,000 and is currently the most expensive stallion in the United States. Despite his continuous success War Front has never covered more than 100 mares in a single season, amplifying his success and ability to produce high quality racehorses.

War Front has had 26 yearlings sell for US$1,000,000+, and his progeny demand high prices with a top result of US$2,900,000 for a colt out of Believe You Can in 2019.

Sons of War Front have taken their place at stud across the world with Declaration of War having marked success in Australia, winning the Melbourne Cup, Victoria Derby and Queensland Oaks in 2019 with Vow and Declare, Warning and Winning Ways respectively.

His son Omaha Beach, who boasts a rare ability to mix brilliant sprinter speed with stamina and toughness, is positioned to continue in the footsteps of War Front who has the same aptitude to sire progeny that can perform almost anywhere, in any conditions.

Vino Rosso (USA) (Curlin) joins fellow newcomer Omaha Beach on the five-stallion roster and fits the mould being a son of elite sire Curlin. With Curlin’s seemingly endless list of accolades, achievements, and awards, he has established himself as a leading sire in North America, and now Australians will have access to his success. He was crowned Horse of the Year in the USA in 2007 and 2008, awarded Champion 3YO Colt in the USA in 2007 and Champion Older Male in the USA and UAE in 2008. Now he is the sire of 67 stakes winners, including winners of 21 Group 1 races such as the Preakness, the Belmont Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Curlin stands for US$175,000 at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm. His success since commencing stud duties in 2009 has not halted - Curlin has sold fourteen US$1,000,000+ yearlings and demand for his progeny in the sales ring continues to rise with a yearling colt out of Bounding (AUS) selling for US$4,100,000 in 2019.

A dominant racehorse winning 11 of his 16 career starts, Curlin was placed in all three legs of the Triple Crown winning the Preakness Stakes before going on to win six additional G1 races, including the Dubai World Cup in 2008. However, his continued success in elite dirt races prevented Curlin’s potential on turf from ever being fully realised. Curlin only raced on turf once in the G1 Man o’ War Stakes where he was second to G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Red Rocks, beating another Breeders’ Cup Turf winner, Better Talk Now who placed third. His own sire, Smart Strike, was a versatile stallion who experienced the heights of success with his progeny on both dirt and turf. Smart Strike’s top performer on the turf, six-time G1 winner English Channel, has gone on to sire both turf and dirt winners while fellow son of Smart Strike, Lookin At Lucky, has also produced stakes-performing turf horses. Curlin’s own son Palace Malice had his first G1 winner on the turf when Structor won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in 2019.

While Curlin hails from the great Mr Prospector line, Vino Rosso shuttles to Spendthrift Australia this season offering breeders the opportunity to breed on the same Mr Prospector/Street Cry cross that is already familiar to Australian breeders through the feats of G1 winners Con Te Partiro, Lyre, Trekking and The Quarterback.

By focusing on champion sirelines, Spendthrift Australia are giving its stallion every chance of success. Not only does it fuel their chances of becoming a champion sire in their own right, but it also gives breeders the confidence their mares will be bred to a stallion with increased odds of producing a successful racehorse.