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