Waikato Stud Services Fees 2010 (April 27 2010)

Waikato Stud's continued sale-ring and racetrack success has further emphasised the value for money options their powerful stallion roster will again offer this season. Off the back of an all-conquering season in 2009-09 which has flowed into the current term, the Matamata farm's service fees remain unchanged and in two cases reduced.

Champion sire O'Reilly, the prolific Pins, rising sire Savabeel and the exciting Fast 'N' Famous all stay the same fees while Gr 1 producer No Excuse Needed and Scaredee Cat will be offered at cut prices. The team will joined this year by the regally-bred and Gr 1 performed Rios, who will be offered at an attractive $5000 + GST.

Inaugural Centaine Award winner and two-time leading Hong Kong sire O'Reilly, whose yearlings sold up to $600,000 at Karaka, will again be available to breeders at $50,000 + GST. The Waikato Stud homebred also has Dewar and Grosvenor Award titles to his credit.

"We have been getting massive bookings from Australian breeders for both O'Reilly and Pins and we've held their fees and their racetrack results compare most favourably to the leading Australian sires," Mark Chittick said. "O'Reilly continues to be a fantastic sire and he's 16 now so we will be looking after him in terms of the size of his book while Pins has had a massive year and is also great value."

A constant stream of winners has Pins a clear second on the New Zealand Sires' Premiership with his flagship performer the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Katie Lee. With yearlings selling up to $650,000 at Karaka, Pins will stand the upcoming season at $40,000 + GST.

Savabeel ($20,000 + GST) continues to make his mark on Australasian racing led by his Gr 2 Moonee Valley Fillies' Classic winning daughter My Emotion while his son Kudakulari is held in high regard by the stable of legendary trainer Bart Cummings. The Listed Fernhill Stakes winner is considered a genuine Gr 1 candidate for next season.

"Savabeel is going extremely well and we're very excited about his progress and results," Chittick said. "With strong support from his syndicate and outside bookings he will have another top-class line-up of mares visiting him in the spring."

The first crop of Fast 'N' Famous ($10,000 + GST) hit the sale rings this year and were in hot demand with a Waikato Stud-bred colt realising $A200,000 at the Sydney Easter Sale. "We've been thrilled with the response from breeders and the buyers have really been taken by his yearlings," Chittick said.

Triple Gr 1 winner Daffodil (AJC Oaks, NZ Oaks, Windsor Park Plate) has continued to fly the No Excuse Needed flag at the highest level and the Machiavellian stallion will offer even better value to breeders in the spring with his fee reduced to $10,000 + GST. "He's had some great results from limited numbers and his biggest books are yet to come," Chittick said.

Similarly, Scaredee Cat will also stand at the lower figure of $5000 + GST and the son of Tale Of The Cat has done a fine job. He is the sire of seven individual winners from just 17 runners. "That's a fine strike rate and, again, his best and biggest books have yet to hit the racetracks," Chittick said.

The new boy on the roster is the impeccably-bred Rios who brings an outstanding mix of pedigree and race performance with the looks to match. "He's got everything going for him and meets all the criteria for a successful stud career," Chittick said. "He's got Gr 1 form, he's a very good-looking horse and he's from a potent female family - in many ways a favourable comparison can be made between Rios and Centaine when he initially went to stud."

The first son of the internationally-successful Hussonet to go to stud in New Zealand, Rios is a son of the reigning Broodmare of the Year Gussy Godiva and a half-brother to the Gr 1 AJC Derby winner Roman Emperor and the promising Volgus. Adding an international flavour to the pedigree is Gussy Godiva's half-sister Black Mamba, who is the Gr 1 winner in America of the John Mabee Handicap and two runnings of the Gr 2 Hollywood Beverley Hills Handicap.