Contributer’s fee increased on back of success of Lion’s Roar
Contributer (High Chaparral), the sire of Randwick Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Lion’s Roar, will headline New Zealand farm Mapperley Stud’s stallion roster for the upcoming breeding season where he will stand for an increased fee of NZ$22,000 (plus GST).
His first crop of three-year-olds have experienced a strong season on the track led, of course, by the John O’Shea-trained Lion’s Roar, whose autumn Group 1 success followed on from his Spring Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) placing in October. He also ran third in the Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) most recently.
In New Zealand, the son of High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells) was represented by exciting filly Llanacord, who won the Lowland Stakes (Gr 2, 2100m) at Hastings last month before running third in the New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) at Trentham.
She is in line for more Classic targets, with trainer Stephen Nickalls travelling with her to Adelaide where she will contest the Australasian Oaks (Gr 1, 2000m) at Morphettville on May 1.
Contributer’s early success as a sire also includes the stakes-performed Lily’s Lady, Miss Dixie and two-year-old Follow Your Dreams.
“We have been very conservative with our service fee increase, so it hasn’t ruled out too many breeders who have supported him in his early days, however at this level his book will be full very shortly,” Mapperley Stud principal Simms Davison said.
“The results on the track over the last year has been nothing short of sensational, he had two individual two-year-old winners in Australia, a feat not many New Zealand stallions achieve with their first crop.
“His offspring continued to shine as three-year-olds, with a number of impressive winners on both sides of the Tasman, and Lion’s Roar winning the Randwick Guineas showed that he is able to leave a top liner in Australia. He’s very much on everybody’s radar now.”
Contributer’s popularity, even prior to his breakthrough results on the track in the early part of 2021, was translated into strong sale results throughout Australasia.
At the New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sales, he averaged NZ$141,000 in Book 1 and NZ$53,000 in Book 2. Even more encouraging, Davison says, was the fact he achieved a 100 per cent clearance rate throughout the yearling sales series.
A dual Group 1 winner during his track career, Contributer stood for NZ$10,000 (plus GST) in 2020.
“The Australians have a very high opinion of them,” Davison said.
“John O’Shea is singing his praises in Sydney and we know there is very strong word coming out of the Maher-Eustace stable. They have two very talented two-year-olds coming through.
“For breeders, the Australian market is so very important. We know the sale statistics every year at Karaka – Australia is the key market. A stallion that is performing well on the racetrack in Australia is a stallion that is going to sell well at Karaka.”
Mapperley Stud will also stand Complacent (Authorized) and Puccini (Encosta De Lago) on their roster in 2021 at unchanged service fees of NZ$4,000 (plus GST) and NZ$3,000 (plus GST) respectively.
Complacent won the Spring Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) as a three-year-old and boasts an impressive record of four Group wins in Australia. His eldest are only three-year-olds, a crop which includes Comme Belle Fille, an impressive winner at Matamata earlier in the year.
She has since been sold to Australia where new trainer O’Shea has her targeted towards the Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) in June.
Champion three-year-old and New Zealand Horse of the Year, Puccini, has started his stud career off on the right foot with his first runner Wolfgang already stakes-placed as a two-year-old.
Mapperley Stud service fees 2021 (2020)
Contributer (High Chaparral) NZ$22,000 (NZ$10,000)
Complacent (Authorized) NZ$4,000 (unchanged)
Puccini (Encosta De Lago) NZ$3,000 (unchanged)