Eureka sticks solid with Spirit Of Boom at $44,000
Eureka Stud will maintain the status quo heading into the 2020 breeding season with its proven pin-up stallion Spirit Of Boom (Sequalo) to remain at an unchanged service fee this year on the basis that the outcross stallion fits a rare niche for breeders.
The Group 1-winning Spirit Of Boom, who is in the top 15 Australian sires for winners and fourth by two-year-old winners this season, will remain at $44,000 (all fees inclusive of GST) this year while his roster cohorts Encryption (Lonhro), Defcon (Choisir) and Red Dazzler (Red Ransom) will also hold their 2019 fees.
They will stand for $13,200, $4,400 and $4,400 respectively.
“We had a fair bit of back and forth with what to do, but in the end we decided that we are going to stick solid on our fees from last year,” Eureka Stud’s Harry McAlpine told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“With Spirit Of Boom, we already came back 20 per cent last year and, in comparison to the rest of the market, he fits into a pretty rare niche of being a proven horse who has a lot more upside than most other proven horses.
“He fits into that bracket of being a proven stallion who has got the upside and that he handles Danehill as well with the likes of Jonker and Ef Troop and Outback Barbie all being out of Danehill line mares.
“Between the shareholders and ourselves (as well as outside clients) he can cover another good strong book this year.”
Spirit Of Boom stood for $55,000 in 2018 after his first crop two-year-olds dominated on the track, with the sprinter siring 18 individual juvenile winners to lead Zoustar (Northern Meteor) by eight, before McAlpine and his family dropped his fee by $10,000 last year.
While mindful of the economic outlook, McAlpine says the quality of foals born and the book of mares Spirit Of Boom covered last year leaves him confident the best was yet to come for the son of Sequalo (Rustic Amber).
It’s a bit of a rare option and those who have been supporting him over the past couple of years have been indicating that they have been happy to go again with those good quality mares.
With the emergence of Jonker, Ef Troop and Outback Barbie before Christmas of his first crop two-year-old season in 2017, interstate breeders flocked to Spirit Of Boom with a dramatically increased quality of mares.
McAlpine says that Spirit Of Boom’s improved book has resulted in some impressive weanlings on the ground.
“We see first-hand a lot of Spirit Of Booms on the farm here and the types that he leaves out of the better mares and the shareholders who have gone and bought mares to send to him have certainly taken the foals up a level physically,” he said.
“I think we’ve bred the right mares to him and, looking at the stats, he’s covered over 160 individual stakes-performing and/or producing mares in his last two years alone.
“It’s a fairly significant upgrade that I don’t think you can really underestimate. He’s proven when you give him a good mare that he can make the most of it.”
McAlpine added: “He’s in the top five two-year-old sires by winners in Australia. His first crop is now 8.3 per cent stakes winners to runners, which is pretty elite.
“He’s a proven horse with upside. He’s produced stakes winners in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and New Zealand.”
Meanwhile, Eureka Stud launched the stud career last season of the beautifully bred Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed sprinter Encryption who will enter his second season this year at an unchanged fee of $13,200 after covering 134 mares last year.
“Being a second season is a tricky one. You don’t want to devalue them and he was very popular last season and, being a four-year-old, we capped his booked around 135 mark which he covered,” he said.
“His pedigree has had another large upgrade with Bivouac stepping out, winning a Newmarket and Golden Rose – he is a three-quarter in blood to Encryption being by Exceed And Excel. It’s one of the biggest families in the Australian Stud Book and it just continues to grow every year.”
Eureka sent a significant number of mares to Encryption last year, while the stallion’s co-owner Darley also committed eight mares to him.
“Last year they sent eight mares to him, which was terrific, including Kanzan, the dam of (Group 3 winner) Ranier, so he’s had some quality mares there and we, ourselves, sent 28 of our own mares which I think is an indication that when Eureka does stand a stallion we do get behind them with everything we’ve got.
“We find the right stallions we think we can breed our mares to and we’ll support him to that level again this year, if not more.”
In conjunction with Darley, Encryption’s service fee will also be under a pay on live foal agreement. The terms will also apply to fellow stallion Defcon ($4,400) whose first crop turns two next season.
“His yearlings sold up to $100,000 this year, which was good, off limited numbers,” he said.
“We are hearing good things about his first crop from the breakers, as you would expect. They are very forward and tough, so hopefully we will be seeing some of those stepping out before Christmas.
“He’s got a couple of half-relations that are quite handy with a half to (Oakleigh Plate winner) Pippie and a half to Boomsara, so he’s got quite a few handy related ones that hopefully can step out for us.”
Eureka Stud stalwart Red Dazzler, the sire of 2014 Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Tinto, will also stand for $4,400.
Eureka Stud service fees 2020
Spirit Of Boom $44,000
Encryption (pay on live foal) $13,200
Defcon (pay on live foal) $4,400
Red Dazzler $4,400
*all fees include GST.