Highview Stud has recognized the current bloodstock market downturn in setting its service fees for the 2009 breeding season.
High-flying stallion Danroad will stand at $11,000 plus GST after speculation that his fee could have been as high as $15,000 plus gst.
“An increase in Danroad’s fee this year was to be expected given he has enjoyed another outstanding season with not only his progeny’s performance on the racetrack but also in the sales ring,” said Brent Gillovic of Highview Stud.
“The initial thoughts of the Hong Kong Breeders Club (which owns Danroad) was to stand him at $15,000 this year,” Gillovic said. “But in view of the difficult current economic climate the decision was made to restrict the increase and set his fee at a very attractive $11,000 (plus GST) which makes him very affordable,” he said.
“In addition a loyalty rebate will apply to those breeders who have patronized Danroad in the past which will see them receive a $1000 reduction in his fee,” Gillovic said.
“This represents outstanding value for such an exciting young sire who is making every post a winner in his stud career,” Gillovic said. “We have already had a significant amount of inquiry from breeders about Danroad and he will be limited to a book of 100 mares this year.”
Danroad is the current leading NZ-based second season sire in New Zealand for the 2008/09 racing season.
His headline act this season has been the quality staying 3yo, Down The Road, who was beaten by the narrowest of margins in the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie in March. Down The Road has amassed $492,928 in stake-earnings this season.
To date Danroad has had 32 runners and been represented by 13 individual winners (total of 24 wins).
Danroad’s first progeny were sold at Karaka in 2007 where the colt from Prospective Belle sold for $100,000. Later that year eventual Group 1 winner Rockdale was sold at the Ready-To-Run Sales at Karaka for $130,000. This was followed up strongly by a $140,000 sale for the full brother to stakes placed Amazing Sky at the Karaka sales and more recently the $110,000 received for a colt from Ambush at the Ready To Run Sales last year. These were exceptional returns on the back of a $6000 service fee.
Danroad’s small representation of yearlings sold this year averaged $33,000.
“Even with the market in recession the fact remains that Danroad is ticking every box as a top young sire and his services will be strongly sought after again this year,” Gillovic said.
The Hong Kong Breeders Club, which owns Danroad, has been fielding major international interest in buying Danroad in recent weeks with the latest offer – from an Australian stud - being received earlier this month.
Peter Yip, co-founder of the Hong Kong Breeders Club, confirmed that the offers had principally come from Australian studs which were endeavouring to take him across the other side of the Tasman.
However, at this stage Yip said the offers had been turned down and the Hong Kong Breeders Club remained committed to standing the exciting Group 2-winning sire son of Danehill in New Zealand this year.
Associate stallions Align and Kashani will stand at fees of $7000 (down 30 per cent) and $2700 (down 10 per cent) respectively this year.
“The fees for both Align and Kashani have been reduced to assist breeders in ensuring they make the decision to send their broodmares to stud this year,” Gillovic said.
Align’s tally of winners continues to grow rapidly and he has now sired 86 individual winners which have collectively won 196 races.
This season one of Align’s star performers in New Zealand has been the brilliant 3yo sprinter, Coup Align, who won six races in succession culminating in a fine victory in the Listed Gore Guineas.
Align is currently the second leading sire in Singapore where his most successful progeny in 2009 have included Magic Wish. Testament to Align’s success in both Singapore and Hong Kong is the extremely high demand for his trial winning stock.
Align’s versatility as a sire is undeniable having sired the champion Group 1 winning 2yos Nightlign and Fully Fledged as well as the New Zealand Cup winner Everswindell. Align’s strike rate of winners to runners is very high at 57 per cent.
Kashani continues to serve his loyal band of supporters exceptionally well. He is the sire of 230 individual winners which have collectively won 669 races to date with a strike rate at a very high 67 per cent winners to starters!
In summing up Highview’s stallion line-up, Gillovic said: “I don’t believe we could ever have been accused of being over the top with our fees and numbers served. We are a small operation that over the years has tried to work hard with our client base to prosper together. However, we are very mindful of the difficult economic climate and the challenges ahead for all breeders. We have a well balanced line-up of proven and commercial sires standing at very realistic fees which clearly offers breeders a real chance to return a profit which surely is the name of the game”.
