by W.P. Howey

Thoroughbred Breeding Statistics from 1981 (‘40 Years On’)

Thoroughbred Breeding Statistics from 1981 (‘40 Years On’)

Featured Image: The Bloodhorse Breeders’ Association of Australia News Bulletin September 1981

The Leading Sires List (1981) was a great triumph for the local (Australian bred) sires. Five of the top 10 seven were bred in Australia. The list again showed the dominance of the Star Kingdom blood.

The leading sire was Bletchingly who was also leading sire in 1980. This is a remarkable record for a sire with only three crops racing. He had 35 winners of 92 races and $623,000:00. It helped that top earner Kingston Town won 4 Stakes Races (MVRC Cox Plate, AJC Warwick Stakes, STC Sydney Turf Club Cup and Tatts Chelmsford Stakes) plus a second and a third from 5 starts and $212,325:00. A horse I bred ‘Bakerman’ (ex-Breadline by Honey Line IRE) won 5 races in Brisbane including the BATC King George VI Stakes and $34,500:00. ‘Super Spree’ (Ex-Royal Lark) by Comic Court) won 8 races and $48,300:00. Kingston Town’s full brother ‘Private Thoughts’ won 3 ½ races in Sydney and Brisbane including the QTC XXXX Quality Handicap and $32,450:00.

Second leading sire was Kaoru Star. He had 50 winners of 112 races and $607,543:00. His best was ‘Full On Aces’ (Colt ex-Better Draw by Better Boy), winner of the AJC Sires Produce Stakes, VRC Sires Produce Stakes, STC Golden Slipper Stakes , 2 seconds and a third from 7 starts and $227,150:00. Kaoru Star was also Leading Sire of Two-Year-Old Winners featuring ‘Full On Aces’ having previously won in 1976-77 year when represented by champion Luskin Star.

Vain (Widden Stud) was fourth on the General Sires List with 57 winners of 139 races and $492,718:00. Planer Kingdom finished fifth with 37 winners of 67 races and $490,606:00.

Osmunda finished second on the Two-Year-Old Winners list with 9 winners of 14 races and $183,510:00. ‘Black Shoes’ was his best ‘get’ who won four races including the VATC Blue Diamond Stakes, AJC Gimcrack Stakes and STC Silver Slipper Stakes for $129,500:00.

The 2020/2021 statistics are as follows:

See: https://www.bloodstock.com.au/bloodstock/sire-premiership-table.php

1 Written Tycoon 379 193 313 12 17 $17,035,983 Ole Kirk, $1,989,050
2 I Am Invincible 358 208 335 12 17 $15,741,201 Libertini, $944,000
3 Not a Single Doubt 236 103 150 8 10 $15,639,605 Classique Legend, $7,132,000
4 Snitzel 319 161 245 13 18 $14,281,120 Wild Ruler, $1,205,200
5 So You Think 266 133 230 12 18 $13,910,170 Think it Over, $1,344,000
6 Fastnet Rock 228 111 177 14 16 $12,316,954 Personal, $1,041,250
7 Zoustar 247 142 217 12 15 $12,295,285 Zoutori, $1,248,000
8 Sebring 330 149 222 10 11 $11,126,586 Nettoyer, $978,000
9 Exceed and Excel 200 99 148 7 10 $10,664,035 Bivouac, $3,452,600
10 All Too Hard 276 138 242 5 11 $10,041,066 Behemoth, $1,751,640