Breeding Bargains
I have long had an unorthodox view on value breeding.
It seems that the masses are obsessed with the leading sires and broodmares, and while statistically speaking, this is the proven best chance of landing a top racehorse, financially, it is a losing proposition.
The chances of making a profit are outweighed by the overwhelming costs.
I grew up in an era where Sir Tristram was the boom sire, an era where it seemed all Group races had some connection to Sir Tristram, and you couldn't get near him to breed without options in a gold mine.
His only direct son standing at stud is the famous Zabeel @ $100,000 service fee.
And while Zabeel has proven to be a gun sire, this is his only son standing out of all the thousands of colts he sired.
Notably Dr Grace and Kaapstad did stand at stud, but did not become leading sires.
Sir Tristram has only five grandsons standing at stud:
SAVABEEL @ NZD$55,000
RESET @ $16,500
OVER @ $4,400
SUFFICIENT @ NZD$4,000
MCFLIRT @ $3,300
Savabeel, Reset and Sufficient being by Zabeel.
However, the point I'm getting to is that thinking back on Sir Tristram's stud fee and Zabeel's $100,000 fee, surely Sufficient is at a bargain basement price at $4,000. The fact that he has Sir Tristram and Zabeel in his bloodlines and the cheap as chips price, means one could send broodmares 25 times to this sire for the price of one service to Zabeel.
Here's some other opinions of him...
Excellent yearling sales series at Karaka 2013 where his first-crop yearlings averaged $45,000 in the Select Session with a sale topper of $80,000 and an overall sales average of $23,500.
His progeny were purchased at Karaka by some very good judges such as Robert Smerdon, Mike Moroney, Alwyn Tweedie; Paul O'Sullivan; Katrina Alexander and Dick Bothwell.
The Sufficient x Brindillemousse filly was purchased by Robert Smerdon of Aquanita Racing for $80,000.
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