The result of Saturday’s Cox Plate clearly demonstrated the great benefit the bloodstock world has derived from sharing resources. I’m talking stallions of course - the first three home at Moonee Valley were sired by stallions that have at some point in their careers shuttled between Europe and Australia.
It also serves as a reminder of the obstacles to sharing stallion resources, as all three sires Street Cry, Dubawi and Teofilo have not for various reasons – commercial and welfare – maintained a consistent presence in Australia. But in their time standing in the Hunter they have all made a significant impact.
Street Cry missed two seasons in 2007 and 2008 but came back to Australia after getting away to a quick start, siring the likes of G1 Melbourne Cup winner Shocking and G1 Caulfield Guineas hero Whobegotyou. In his second stint came six more G1 winners, including the incomparable Winx and multiple G1-winning juvenile and now young sire Pride Of Dubai.
But just where does Street Cry sit among all Australian sires that currently have runners in Australia?
Australian champion sire
With a mare like Winx to represent him, plus a high-class supporting cast, it is not that surprising that Street Cry became Champion sire of 2015/2016 in Australia. The average Timeform rating of his best ten runners is an excellent 122.7, which places him among the top ten Australian sires in the past 25 years.
"The average Timeform rating of his (Street Cry) best ten runners is an excellent 122.7, which places him among the top ten Australian sires in the past 25 years." - John Boyce
In fact, among sires still represented on the track, only Redoute’s Choice (124.6), Fastnet Rock (124.3), Lonhro and Encosta de Lago (123.9) have higher scores.
Street Cry
He’s even ahead of Snitzel (122.1) but that is certain to change in the not-too-distant future as the Arrowfield Stud stallion’s best-bred crops are still ahead of him. Street Cry has sired 8.1% Stakes winners to runners from his Australian foals, which again puts him among the very best in the business. Only Aussie sires Redoute’s Choice (12.1), Snitzel (10.4), Fastnet Rock and Exceed And Excel (9.1) can beat that score.
"His (Street Cry) percentage of Stakes winners from his American foals (8.4%) is almost the same at his Australian output." - John Boyce
Top rated performers by Street Cry
Outscoring the competition
What’s more, he’s always made the most of his opportunities, comfortably outscoring the benchmarks set by other sires when they covered the same mares. And when he was given the opportunity with better mares – particularly in his second shift in Australia – he did particularly well, with one in five of his runners becoming a Stakes horse.
It’s interesting to note that his percentage of Stakes winners from his American foals (8.4%) is almost the same at his Australian output. And, of course, just as in Australia, he’s sired a remarkable mare in Zenyatta, whom Timeform rated 131, 3lbs lower than the great Winx.
Benbatl’s sire Dubawi spent only three seasons – 2006, 2008 and 2009 – in Australia before his northern hemisphere success precluded his return. History now shows what a loss he was to Australian racing.
Top rated performers by Dubawi
From 188 runners he’s sired an outstanding 11.7% Stakes winners to runners, which only Redoute’s Choice can beat. But what’s even more remarkable was the fact that he built his reputation on the back of fairly ordinary mares. His 11.7% Stakes winners came from mares that managed only 4% with other sires. By way of comparison, Redoute’s Choice’s 12.1% Stakes winners come from mares that collectively produced 10.2% with other sires.
"Given that Dubawi sires 21.5% Stakes winners to runners from elite mares in the northern hemisphere, what might he have achieved in Australia? " - John Boyce
Dubawi
Given that Dubawi sires 21.5% Stakes winners to runners from elite mares in the northern hemisphere, what might he have achieved in Australia?
Respect the hard way
Teofilo has an excellent reputation in Australia, siring the likes of Happy Clapper (rated 129 by Timeform), Humidor (129), Kermadec (125) and Palentino (124). In fact, four of his top five rated runners worldwide were bred in Australia.
Top rated performers by Teofilo
Just like Dubawi, breeders were a little wary of the unbeaten juvenile G1 winner when he first arrived in 2009, but he’s earned respect the hard way by siring 9.7% Group horses to runners from mares that normally produce half that score. His European crops normally yield a top-class 10.2% Stakes winners to runners, compared with the 6.7% in Australia.
That, together with his welfare, is why he hasn’t ventured to Australia this year. What’s incontrovertible though is that he’s a top-class sire: his best ten runners around the world have an average Timeform rating of 124.5, which compares very favourably with many of the sires mentioned earlier in this article.
Teofilo
