For the first time since 2008, the number of mares bred in Australia last year increased year on year. There were 19,996 mares bred last year, up 2.6% from 2016. That figure had declined 26.9% since 2008.
“This will be the first recorded increase in the foal crop since 2008 and is another sign of the strength of the Australian Thoroughbred industry,” said Racing Australia Chair Frances Nelson, speaking at the Asian Racing Conference in Seoul. “These figures are a tribute to the resilience and continuing investment of Australian breeders which is benefitting the whole of the Thoroughbred industry. Increases in prize money across our major racing jurisdictions and the operation of breeders' bonus schemes have given breeders confidence to maintain Australia's reputation as a world leader in Thoroughbred breeding.”
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