Stallion rosters firming up for breeding season ahead

July is an exciting time for this avid harness breeder as relevant news begins to filter through which is going to have a bearing on breeding decisions heading into a new breeding season.

Wai Eyre Farm quickly got on the front foot by announcing the purchase of champion pacer Lazarus, followed up swiftly with notifications of reduced on-farm charges relative to working and vet fees.

While they have no new stallions arriving, Canterbury stud Nevele R are also about to unveil their breeding packages to the wider harness community for the new season, with several new incentives in place to attract breeders — big and small.

Alabar have signalled that their very commercial sire Always B Miki has had a health setback in America and will not be available to breeders Down Under for the upcoming breeding season. He has only one son standing in New Zealand — Perfect Sting — and Southland’s Macca Lodge was quick to announce a $10k bonus to the owner of his first Australasian winner. It’s a timely reminder to breeders that he was undefeated as a two-year-old and that his dam was once the fastest three-year-old filly in pacing history.

Interestingly, with the sale of Lazarus, Alabar now has no stallions standing on their behalf here in New Zealand.

NZSBA Executive Manager Brad Reid, who puts together their excellent publication Register of Standardbred Stallions, has already signalled that the number of available stallions to NZ breeders will reduce further to around 56 (down from 63 in the 2024/25 edition), with Llowalong Farms deciding not to send any chilled semen from their Australian base for the new season. That means no Poster Boy, Soho Tribeca, and significantly no trotting stallion King Of The North, who will not shuttle this season but will instead be available via frozen semen.

The game can be about swings and roundabouts, and game shaker Dancingonmoonlight (DOM) will soon announce the availability of the high-profile Huntsville (leading sire of three-year-olds in America), who was previously only available to Australian breeders under the Cobbity Equine banner. Cattlewash (another son of Somebeachsomewhere), who has done exceptionally well with a small sample from his first American crop, will also return to NZ breeders under the DOM roster, alongside Bettor’s Wish, the newly added Tattoo Artist (a son of He’s Watching), and the exciting trotting stallions Tactical Landing and Gimpanzee.

The latter, available for the first time in this part of the world, won 25 of 34 starts on his way to $2.7 million in earnings and is by the all-conquering Chapter Seven. All DOM stallions will be available via frozen semen only.

Cobbity Equine, while based in Australia, have also been proactive in securing the 1:46.2 son of Huntsville, Legendary Hanover, the only sophomore pacer in history to record multiple sub-1:47 miles. He will be available to both sides of the Tasman and his stud fees have already been announced for the new season.

Cobbity will also continue to offer Cannibal, Confederate and King Of Swing, whose progeny proved very attractive to buyers at the most recent yearling sales in February.

For breeders with smaller budgets, Wai Eyre — in partnership with Macca Lodge — has recently announced the pending arrival of U S Captain (Captaintreacherous – American Jewel) in the flesh. A winner of 22 races and timed in 1:48.1, he is the product of mating two world champions. There will be strong interest in how his bloodlines are received by Kiwi breeders, especially at such an affordable service fee.

Phoebe Standardbreds will put the first 20 breeders who return to four-time Group 1 winner Krug (a son of Bettor’s Delight) into a draw for a free service. And early reports on the Habibi Inta youngsters are very encouraging. The latter, of course, is a son of Love You, who has been a real success story, especially here in New Zealand.

For those breeders needing more information to make informed decisions this season, be sure to mark the following NZSBA Stallion Seminar dates in your calendar: