Chaldean heads Cambridge Stud roster at NZ$35,000 as Almanzor reduced to NZ$30,000

Cover image courtesy of Cambridge Stud

Cambridge Stud, one of New Zealand's premier breeding establishments, has revealed its complete roster and service fees for the 2024 breeding season.

Last week, the esteemed Cambridge Stud, owned by Brendan and Jo Lindsay, announced a significant development. They have secured a partnership with Juddmonte Farms, a renowned breeding and racing operation, to shuttle Chaldean (GB), a multiple Group 1-winning son of Frankel (GB).

Chaldean will stand his debut Southern Hemisphere season at a fee of NZ$35,000 (plus GST), with a limit of 120 mares.

Scott Calder, sales and nominations manager at Cambridge Stud, remarked that the operation has been flooded with requests since news broke of Chaldean. "The reception has been really positive. We’ve been inundated with requests," he stated.

“He’s limited to a book of 120 mares, which is going to be a bit of a juggling act given how popular he has proven to be. So, we’re just trying to work our way through that. Chaldean is a massive asset for the industry in general.

“There are some really positive things happening in New Zealand, and we wanted to get behind them by bringing in horses of this calibre, particularly a horse from Juddmonte, who was such a good 2-year-old and a Classic winner at three.

“It’s fantastic to be partnering with Juddmonte. He’s the first son of Frankel to stand alongside his father, and we’ve seen what he’s done in the Southern Hemisphere.

“You’ve got to send your mare all the way up to England to access Frankel, so to have Chaldean on our back doorstep is a great opportunity for New Zealand and Australian breeders.”

Almanzor fee reduced

Following Chaldean is the return of Almanzor (Fr), who has once again enjoyed a remarkable season in the Southern Hemisphere. The son of Wootton Bassett (GB) will stand for a reduced fee of NZ$30,000 (plus GST), down from the NZ$50,000 (plus GST) that Almanzor stood for in 2023.

The fee reduction does not reflect on the results and quality of Almanzor.

Recently, Circle Of Fire (GB) displayed dominance in the G1 Sydney Cup, while Nucleozor (NZ) emerged as an emerging star with an unbeaten run, currently sitting at three victories and including a triumph in the Listed Welcome S.

Moreover, last Saturday, Moonlight Magic (NZ) secured the G3 Championship S., while horses like Athabascan (Fr), Positivity (NZ), Sudbina (NZ), and Zabmanzor (NZ) all claimed stakes races during the 2023/24 season.

Almanzor boasts 16 stakes winners worldwide, with 10 of them hailing from the Southern Hemisphere.

Commenting on the fee reduction, Calder explained that 2024 presented a great opportunity for breeders to access Almanzor at a reduced fee following a strong season. “We think Almanzor standing at NZ$30,000 (plus GST) is fantastic value in the market. I think he’s going to be very popular at that service fee. Almanzor really couldn’t be going any better.

“But we need to work with our breeders, and we want to. We want them to succeed as well as ourselves, so I think he’s at a level that is really favourable. There is also plenty in the pipeline to come for Almanzor. Therefore, we believe he is really going to stand out in the overall market in New Zealand this year.”

Youmzain and Sword making big strides

Hello Youmzain (Fr), a son of Kodiac (GB), will also stand for NZ$30,000 (plus GST) following a more than encouraging reception to his first yearlings. Overall, at all sales to date across Australasia, Hello Youmzain had 50 lots offered, with 46 selling at an aggregate of $6,807,225, averaging $147,983 and a median of $138,889.

“We couldn’t be happier with how they sold. Hello Youmzain had some really top prices at Karaka, Magic Millions, and Easter, but for me, it was probably the overall results across the board; they were really strong.

“To have a 92 per cent clearance rate across all sales was exceptional. I think it speaks to the demand for him and that’s probably due to the types he is leaving. Hello Youmzain leaves a very consistent type, and we’ve got another group of weanlings in the paddock. The more you see of them, the more you realise the quality he leaves.

“They’re strong, they walk well, and the upshot is they sell well and invariably, they end up in the best stables in New Zealand and Australia; that’s what we want to get his progeny off on the right foot.”

Commenting on Hello Youmzain’s physique, Calder said, “He’s got the hallmarks of that Danehill line, the strength and the bone. He’s a masculine horse, but one thing that stands out to me is the way he moves. He’s one of those horses that just uses himself well.”

Sword Of State, a son of Arrowfield Stud’s four-time Champion Australian sire Snitzel, will stand for NZ$15,000 (plus GST).

Testament to his quality, Sword Of State was a $600,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate and demonstrated his talent on the track by winning six races, including the G1 Sistema S., which led to him being crowned New Zealand’s Champion 2-Year-Old.

“The quirk with Sword Of State is that he was more popular in the second season than the first, which isn’t common. I know we all say how lovely the first foals are for our stallions, but I feel there’s no better proof than the actions breeders take, and he went from 126 mares to 142 mares.

“We didn’t have to tell people how nice they were because there was really positive word out there on them, and the bookings flowed from there. A Group 1-winning son of Snitzel at NZ$15,000 (plus GST) is a great opportunity. The success of the Snitzel line, along with the achievements of his sire-sons, only reinforces his importance to the industry.”

Embellish rounds out the roster

Completing the 2024 Cambridge Stud roster is Embellish (NZ), a son of the multiple Champion Sire Savabeel and winner of the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas.

Embellish will stand for NZ$5000 (plus GST) and has already sired six stakes performers and 15 winners from a limited number of runners.

“We believe he’s the best value horse in the country. We’ve been saying it for years; you look at his pedigree, and now he’s backed that up with strong performances from his first 3-year-olds.

“Embellish has been second only to Almanzor when it comes to 3-year-old winners in New Zealand. He’s a multiple stakes winner in Australia, with Bold Soul trained by Patrick Payne, and when you factor in that he's achieved this off a lower stud fee base, we couldn’t be happier.”

Reflecting on the overall roster, Calder expressed, “Cambridge Stud is very proud of our 2024 lineup. We believe it’s important to offer a range of horses and different service fees because every breeder operates their business differently, and we want to accommodate.

“I think something else we can be really proud of this year is that all our stallions are high-calibre horses that represent a range of bloodlines - Frankel, Snitzel, Savabeel, Wootton Bassett, and Kodiac.

“They’re all exceptionally good, whether it’s locally or internationally. All of them are different types too. So, it’s a bit of a cliche to say something for everyone, but I really feel it rings true with our roster this year.”

Table: 2024 Announced Stallion Fees for Cambridge Stud