By Kelsey Riley
Newgate's first-season sire Capitalist (Aus) was Australia's busiest covering sire of 2017, serving 229 mares, according to Australian Stud Book statistics updated up to Mar. 1. The Golden Slipper winner stands for A$55,000. His own sire, Written Tycoon (Aus), covered 166 mares at a fee of A$88,000.
Capitalist was one of three unproven Newgate sires among the top 10; the others were Dissident (Aus), whose first yearlings are currently being sold and who covered 197 at A$33,000, and first-season covering sire Flying Artie (Aus) (Artie Schiller), who stands for A$38,500 and covered 185. Dissident's sire, Sebring (Aus), was fourth-busiest in 2017, covering 204, followed by his Widden barnmate Nicconi (Aus) with 208 mates.
Current reigning champion sire Snitzel (Aus) sits second with 216 covered at the country's highest advertised fee, A$176,000. His sire Redoute's Choice (Aus) stands alongside him at Arrowfield for the second-highest fee of A$137,500, and he served 73 mares last year. Another Redoute's Choice-sired Arrowfield resident, Not A Single Doubt (Aus), covered 146 mares.
I Am Invincible (Aus), who has thus far rivaled Snitzel for sales ring dominance this year, stood for A$110,000 last season and was visited by 200 mares. That same price was commanded by both Exceed and Excel (Aus) (Danehill) and Medaglia d'Oro (El Prado {Ire}) at Darley, and they covered 131 and 81 apiece.
Zoustar (Aus) (Northern Meteor {Aus}) and Spirit of Boom (Aus) (Sequalo {Aus}) are currently battling it out atop the first-season sire standings, with the former leading by earnings and the latter by winners, and they served 181 and 191 mares, respectively, last year. Pierro (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}), well out in front as leading second-season sire, was the busiest stallion at Coolmore Australia last season with 192 covered.
Coolmore's American Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) led all first-season shuttlers with 158 bred at Coolmore and European champion 2-year-old Air Force Blue (War Front), who joined him on the trip from Ashford Stud in Kentucky to Jerry's Plains, served 119. Shalaa (Ire), like I Am Invincible a son of Invincible Spirit (Ire), covered 155 in his first season Down Under at Arrowfield, while Godolphin's fast miler Frosted (Tapit) covered 103. First-season Japanese shuttlers Maurice (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}) and Mikki Isle (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) covered 121 and 96, respectively, at Arrowfield.
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