Danroad Posts Highest Strike Rate Of NZ First Season Sires
Final figures from the 2007/08 racing season show that Highview Stud’s Danroad has achieved the highest strike rate (winners to starters) of any New Zealand-based sire.
Danroad had five individual winners (plus three further placed runners) from 13 individual starters in the 2007/08 racing season -representing a high strike rate of 38 per cent, according to figures from Arion Pedigrees.
“A stallion’s strike rate is a very good measurement of their ability to leave winners with regular frequency,” said Brent Gillovic, general manager of Highview Stud.
“Danroad not only has a great strike rate of winners to starters but in addition he also achieved the ultimate for any first-season sire by producing a Group 1 winner from his very first crop,” Gillovic said.
That Group 1 success came when the son of Danroad, Rockdale, was successful in the Group 1 TJ Smith Classic at Eagle Farm, Brisbane, in June.
Danroad’s other first-season winners were the stakes performer, Amazing Sky, Dandi (2 wins), Worthing and Kerilla.
The second-best first-season sire based in New Zealand was Thorn Park whose seven individual winners from 20 starts represented a strike rate of 35 per cent.
Another Highview Stud sire to have a high strike rate in the analysis of New Zealand-based sires with 2-4 crops and in the $10,000 to $20,000 bracket is Align.
Align has a strike rate of 53 per cent winners to starters in his stud career to date (63 individual winners from 122 individual starters) and this includes four Group winners – Nightlign (Gr. 1 Ford Manawatu Produce Stakes), Fully Fledged (Gr. 1 Ford Diamond Stakes), Everswindell (Gr. 2 New Zealand Cup) and Out Of Align (Gr. 3 Desert Gold Stakes). He has a total of 8 stakes performed horses.
Align has been represented by winners in seven different countries. He has made a strong impression in Singapore and Hong Kong. One of his star performers in Singapore has been the very smart, Jaywin, who has won six races including the Singapore Kranji A Stakes.
In Hong Kong one of Align’s best performers has been Ocean Tranquil who has recorded four wins.
Align is the only sire in Australasia to have sired consecutive 2yo Group 1 winners over the past two seasons – Nightlign and Fully Fledged.
Nightlign was the champion 2yo in New Zealand of the 2006/07 season and Fully Fledged was the champion 2yo colt in New Zealand of the 2007/08 season.
Nightlign has already made a favourable impression on the Hong Kong racing scene. He scored a stunning first-up win in class one company at Sha Tin which earned his owners a major bonus into the bargain. He then went on to record a meritorious third placing in Group 3 company in Hong Kong.
Fully Fledged is being set for the major three-year-old races in New Zealand this season by his Cambridge trainer Murray Baker. The Group 1 New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November will be his major target.
Fully Fledged made six appearances in his 2yo campaign, winning twice and weighing in on five occasions. Besides his outstanding Group 1 win in the Ford Diamond Stakes he also finished fifth in the Group 1 Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes when encountering an unfavourable shifty track in the middle of a 100-year drought. And he had the Group 2 Ford Wakefield Challenge Stakes at his mercy after racing three lengths clear in the home straight but then spoilt his chances altogether by jumping the running rail.
