What’s Currently ‘Hot’ with our stallions

Some people say the stud fee is the cheapest part of breeding a horse — so where should we be going with our mares?

Historically, the same people will tell you that if you’re breeding for the yearling sales, there are only a handful of stallions to consider. But if you’re breeding to race, the range of choice grows noticeably.

This is a snapshot from the last weekend of racing in September 2025, looking at which stallions are doing the business.

There were 46 races staged from Thursday to Sunday (17 trotting + 29 pacing), starting at Cambridge on Thursday, taking in our two premier tracks on Friday night at Addington and Alexandra Park, before rounding off with Gore and Timaru on the Sunday.

Of the pacing races, 17 of the 29 were won by the stock of just three sires: Bettor’s Delight (8 wins), Always B Miki (5 wins) and Downbytheseaside (4 wins). Close behind were Sweet Lou (2 wins) and Captain Crunch (2 wins), meaning that 21 of 29 pacing races (72%) were won by the progeny of just five sires.

With the exception of Bettor’s Delight, who has been our champion pacing sire for more than a decade, the other four stallions have served significant numbers in recent seasons and currently sit near the top of our stallion tables.

Of the eight other pacing winners, Live Or Die (1 win) and Auckland Reactor (1 win) are no longer available, while Sky Major (2 wins) has been exported. The remaining four races were won by progeny of Lazarus, Captaintreacherous, Art Major and Bettor’s Wish, each siring one winner respectively.

For those interested in two-year-old performances, there were only three 2YO pacing winners: two by Bettor’s Delight and the other by Bettor’s Wish (a son of Bettor’s Delight).

In the trotting ranks, a similar trend emerged. Of the 17 trotting races, 11 winners (65%) came from just four sires: Majestic Son (5 wins), Muscle Mass (2 wins), Father Patrick (2 wins) and What The Hill (2 wins). These trotting stallions have all been prominent in recent seasons, with their progeny figuring strongly in stakes races. With good-sized crops on the ground, their influence looks set to continue.

There was one two-year-old trot, won by the unbeaten Duchess Maria, who is by Father Patrick.

Of the other six trotting winners, Pegasus Spur (1 win) and Peak (1 win) are no longer available, while Used To Me (1 win), One Over Da Moon (1 win), Volstead (1 win) and Superfast Stuart (1 win) each contributed a winner to the weekend tally.

Of course, on another weekend across five meetings, the snapshot might change — or would it?

In this period, 32 of the 46 races (70%) were won by the progeny of just nine sires. And yet, the latest Breeders Register lists 56 stallions (28 pacing and 28 trotting).

Of those, 26 advertised stallions (12 pacing and 14 trotting) do not yet have progeny old enough to grace our racetracks. Among them, each gait provides four new stallions available for the first time in New Zealand.

So as breeders, do you give a new sire a chance — although unproven — or do you stick with the tried and true, and pay a higher stud fee for a proven commodity? And remember, what happens in America doesn’t always run true here in New Zealand.

So many things to weigh up… it can be a tricky gig, this breeding caper.

Best of luck.