Larneuk farewells consistent sire Reward For Effort

4 min read

Written by Bren O'Brien

Incredibly consistent stallion Reward For Effort, who only recently transferred to Larneuk Stud after the closure of Chatswood Stud, has been euthanised due to complications from surgery.

The late Reward For Effort | Image courtesy of Larneuk Stud

The 15-year-old, a winner of the 2009 G1 Blue Diamond S. for Peter Moody, has been battling with an existing foot abscess since transferring from Chatswood Stud last month and was recently withdrawn from service.

He underwent surgery, but complications sadly meant that he had to be euthanised.

“This really is tragic,” Larneuk Stud’s Neville Murdoch said.

“All of us at the farm and the shareholders in the horse are absolutely devastated … he (Reward For Effort) really made an impression with us from the short time he was on the farm and it’s also a tremendous blow to Victoria’s breeding industry.

"All of us at the farm and the shareholders in the horse are absolutely devastated … he (Reward For Effort) really made an impression with us from the short time he was on the farm." - Neville Murdoch

"Not only has he produced a lot of winners, I’m absolutely convinced the best was yet to come.”

Murdoch had only welcomed the son of Exceed And Excel to the farm a few weeks ago after the sudden closure of Chatswood Stud, which ceased business after the property was acquired by liquidators.

Murdoch expressed at the time that he had high hopes for Reward For Effort on a roster that already features Endless Drama (Ire), Wandjina, Cluster and Wolf Cry. He stood his final season at $11,000 (inc GST).

Murdoch's optimism seemed well-placed given Reward For Effort's well-earned reputation for consistently producing winners. He had more than 100 individual winners in two of the past four seasons and had been placed as high as 34th on the Australian Sires Table in that time.

Neville with his favourite “foal” Arabella | Image courtesy of Larneuk Stud

He is on target for another century this racing season, with 45 winners already, including Listed Heatherlie S. winner No Effort. He has produced eight stakes winners in total, highlighted by Group winners Gold Symphony, Ability, Take Pride and Brugal Award.

His progeny have earned over $34 million, with his current tally of 339 winners spread across eight different countries.

Reward For Effort was popular as a stallion throughout his 11-year career, with books of over 100 in every season up until 2020.

In the sales ring, his popularity reached its height in his third crop, with an average of $52,252 through the yearling sales ring in 2016, the year which his most expensive yearling, Patriot, sold for $380,000 through the Supreme Thoroughbreds draft at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.

Patriot as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis

He is also the broodmare sire of the stakes-placed Celtic Glory (Toronado {Ire}).

Exceed's first Group 1 winner

Bred by Contract Racing, Reward For Effort was a half-brother to the Listed winner Consular (Royal Acadamy {USA}) and stakes-placed Annie La Vie (Flying Spur).

Another of his half-sisters, Bahia (Snippets), became a highly influential broodmare, producing the G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Overreach, Widden Stud stallion Outreach and Group 2 winner Standout, who are all by Exceed And Excel, making them three-quarter siblings to him.

Overreach winning the Listed Widden S. | Image courtesy of Sportpix

His dam, Miss Prospect (Rory's Jester), was a multiple stakes winner and a half-sister to Group 3 winner Life's A Bounty (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) from a family which also includes recent multiple Group 3 winner Minhaaj, who is also by Exceed And Excel.

Offered as a yearling through the 2008 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale by Basinghall Farm, Reward For Effort was purchased by Dynamic Syndications for $190,000.

He debuted for Moody in the Listed Blue Diamond Prelude (Colts & Geldings) the following January and won well, and while he was beaten by Real Saga in the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (Colts & Geldings) at his second start, he turned the tables on that horse in the Blue Diamond S. itself two weeks later, becoming the first Group 1 winner for his Darley-based sire.

Reward For Effort | Image courtesy of Sportpix

He would subsequently finish seventh in the G1 Golden Slipper S., but would not race for much of his 3-year-old season because of injury. He returned after a 15-month break to win both the Listed Sir John Monash S, and the G3 Concorde S. in 2010.

He was retired after the autumn of 2011 and stood at Chatswood Stud until his move this year.

Reward For Effort
Exceed And Excel
Larneuk Stud
Chatswood Stud