2013 Stallions and Service Fees

Emirates Park’s stallion line-up and associated service fees have been confirmed for the 2013 breeding season with the stud’s senior management team adhering to the prevailing sense of conservatism for the upcoming season.

In short, Dream Ahead (USA), Artie Schiller (USA) and Al Maher are available for the same figure as they were in the previous season; Mutawaajid has had a small fee reduction from 2012; while the price for Eavesdropper (USA) has been increased marginally following the very good start the imported stallion has made to his stud career in Australia. The coming season also witnesses Harbour Watch (Ire) and Mulaazem added to Emirates Park’s two-state line-up at prices that should make them both very appealing to breeders operating with a four-figure budget.

The Murrurundi stallion roster will consist of Dream Ahead ($27,500 inc GST), Al Maher ($16,500 inc GST), Harbour Watch ($9900 inc GST), Eavesdropper ($6600 inc GST) and Mutawaajid ($6600 inc GST). As Emirates Park CEO Trevor Lobb explained, there have only been slight adjustments made to the previous season of business, besides the addition of an outstanding young prospect in the form of Harbour Watch.

“Dream Ahead remains at $27,500 after a very successful introduction to the Australian breeding scene in 2012,” began Lobb. “We were confident that we had read the marketplace well in regard to his first local stud season and there is no reason to re-assess the situation from last year.

“The biggest consideration to make involved this season’s service fee for Al Maher. There was a very strong argument to increase his fee as there are not too many stallions in Australia doing a finer job at stud. Fat Al, Oasis Bloom, Cabernet, All Legal, Budriguez and others have been outstanding advertisements for him in the interim period. However, it was felt that this stallion now has a very loyal group of supporters and we could repay them by keeping a cap on his fee for the time being.

“Eavesdropper is the only stallion to be the subject of a small increase. He’s now up to $6600 after standing at $5500 in previous seasons. We easily justified this due to the fact that his first runners are really starting to make an impression and the feedback we have from around the traps is that there are plenty of more winners to follow.”

Currently being represented by his first Australian-bred crop this 2-year-old season, Eavesdropper had his fourth individual juvenile winner when Bold Eavey won the $100,000 2YO Inglis Gold Plate at Bendigo and his fifth when Got The Goss won an open-age Maiden Plate at Canberra on debut. This fabulously-related Mr Prospector-line sire is reported to have a solid contingent of smart prospects for the months ahead, all of which are believed to be capable of establishing Eavesdropper as one of the best-value stallions in the current ranks.

“The biggest change to last season is the addition of Harbour Watch,” Lobb said in reference to the only newcomer to the Murrurundi roster. “We are absolutely delighted to offer such an outstanding 2-year-old performer as we know through experience that a large percentage of broodmare owners place a premium on precocity and speed.” 

Artie Schiller ($22,000 inc GST) will again prove to be the major drawcard at Emirates Park’s Victorian arm located at Diggers Rest where he will serve in association with the stud’s exciting newcomer Mulaazem ($7700 inc GST). 

“The Victorian stud and Victorian breeders in general are very important to us — presently and in regards to our long-term future plans,” continued Lobb. “Standing Mulaazem, Sepoy’s Group 2 winning half-brother, is another expression of our commitment to the Victorian breeding community. We had no hesitation in retiring him to Diggers Rest and he has already settled into his new surroundings.” 

Lobb concluded: “We feel that in Artie Schiller and Mulaazem, we offer broodmare owners in Victoria very viable alternatives to the proliferation of Danzig-Danehill stallions standing in the state and good reason to return to a nursery with a proven record of performance.”

For any further information, please contact Trevor Lobb (0418 240 230) Bryan Carlson (0415 275 885) or Mat Becker (0409 501 233). 2013

Stallions & Fees

AL MAHER: $16,500 (inc GST)

ARTIE SCHILLER (USA): $22,000 (inc GST)

DREAM AHEAD (USA): $27,500 (inc GST)

EAVESDROPPER (USA): $6,600 (inc GST)

HARBOUR WATCH (Ire): $9,900 (inc GST)

MULAAZEM: $7,700 (inc GST)

MUTAWAAJID: $6,600 (inc GST)