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ANNUAL BREEDING STATISTICS 2018-19 - PART 2

By Major Srinivas Nargolkar (Retd.) | 13 Nov 2019 |


Leading at the end of each quarter, Usha Stud's Multidimensional bagged his third Champion Sire crown in six years. He was also the Champion Freshman Sire in 2012-13. Last year's Champion Sire Excellent Art chased him throughout and the closest that he came was at the midway point when he was less than Rs. 1 crore behind. Both had comparatively quiet second halves but the reigning Champion was always struggling to make up the leeway. Multidimensional was a comfortable winner though his winning margin in the two earlier titles was bigger.

The complete statistics of the top five finishers are given below.

CHAMPION SIRE 2018-19

(Decided by stakes won by the progeny)

Rank Sire (Pedigree)  Standing At Rank Last
Five Years
Starters Winners Wins Stakes AE Index
1 Multidimensional[IRE], b 2003
(Danehill - Sacred Song by Diesis)
Usha 3-1-2-3-1 118 54 98 Rs. 10,36,82,381 2.22
2 Excellent Art[GB], b 2004
(Pivotal - Obsessive by Seeking The Gold)
Poonawalla 1-8-x-x-x 101 56 97 Rs. 8,68,17,938 2.17
3 Arazan[IRE], b 2006
(Anabaa - Asmara by Lear Fan)
Poonawalla 7-6-4-11-x 146 59 96 Rs. 8,13,79,058 1.41
4 Phoenix Tower[USA], b 2004
(Chester House - Bionic by Zafonic)
Manjri 2-2-3-5-7  155 69 100 Rs. 5,96,06,825 0.97
5 Win Legend[JPN], b 2003
(Sunday Silence - Shinko Nobby by Nashwan)
Dashmesh 4-5-7-12-18 94 49 78 Rs. 5,52,88,782 1.49

Multidimensional was the Champion Freshman Sire in 2012-13 and followed it up with the 'senior' title the following year. Since then, he has not had back-to-back Championships and he has plenty do in the coming year to retain his top dog status. He is languishing twelfth in the Juvenile Sires table and unless his 2016 crop sprouts wings over the next two months, he will need a massive support from his younger crop. That younger crop is his smallest ever.

His 2015 crop did rise from the ashes this year. Out of nowhere came Adjudicate (Calcutta 1000 Guineas, Gr.3, Calcutta 2000 Guineas, Gr.2, Calcutta Derby, Gr.1), Arabia (South India 2000 Guineas, Gr.2), Oriana (Calcutta Oaks, Gr.3), New Creation (South India Oaks, Gr.1), Mea Culpa (Bangalore Oaks, Gr.2), Roberta (Hindustan Times Palate Fest Indian Oaks, Gr.1) and Psychic Force (South India Derby, Gr.1) to give him nine Classics in a time span of less than two months. His best 'get', undoubtedly, was the filly Adjudicate. She was born at Sohna Stud which got all the points for her winning -- in addition to the Classics mentioned, the Indian Turf Invitation Cup, Gr.1,  Chief Justice's Cup, Gr.3 and Indian St. Leger, Gr.1.  She was the leading stakes earner of the year and the amount that she grossed was well over the margin by which Multidimensional topped the table. With seven Classic winners during the year, he equalled his first crop record. The best of his juvenile crop was Knight Templar who placed a close third in Kingfisher Derby Bangalore, Gr.1 and looked on course to have a say in the monsoon Classics. He probably had a minor setback because he had no track work reported for two months but he has been sighted recently. Streaming Gold was on the board in the AVR and Catalyst Properties Mysore Derby, Gr.1. He looks as if he lacks a finishing kick but he will be at home over 2400 m.

Without a doubt, Multidimensional is the most consistent and dependable stallion in the country today. His produce, unlike some of his contemporaries, revels over Classic distances and they are all not just plodders. He has sired some speedy ones, too; the dual Sprinters' Cup winner Adam being a prime example. In Mathaiyus and Adjudicate he has two winners of the Indian St. Leger. When he won his first title in 2013-14, his AE Index was 5.07 which is the highest of the decade. Some of his stock -- like Alaindair, Multitude and Whomakestherules, to quote just three -- have been very durable. In the last thirty years, only Placerville, Razeen and Always A Rainbow have been Champion Sires more often. That lends a proper perspective to his achievements so far.

While Multidimensional does have a  tough task to retain his title, it is also difficult to pin-point who can take it away from him. Excellent Art certainly cannot because the majority of his runners in 2019-20 will be five and six year-olds and that category does not have sufficient black-type or lucrative races. His Classic crop and juvenile crop together is less than 20 and that is too small a number to influence the standings. Though Arazan's juvenile crop is much smaller than his Classic crop, the overall numbers are in his favour and he does have some very prime contenders like Well Connected, Missing You and the unbeaten Sultan Suleiman. His runners, though, are more effective in their first year of racing than the Classic year. Phoenix Tower and Win Legend are 'known quantities'. They have their limitations but also their plus points. There could be an unexposed star in their Classic crops but it is likely that their juvenile crops will provide the real boost, if only because they have the largest number of two year-olds. All in all, it is going to be an interesting contest.

Of the top five stallions, only Phoenix Tower was without a Classic win during the year. On the other hand, there were magical moments for several stallions -- Gusto, Saamidd, Surfrider, Air Support, Abbeyside and Total Gallery --  who broke their Classic duck. A study of breeding statistics is of not much use to a common punter because even a dud stallion has a winner every now and then. It is, however, of utmost importance to those who buy horses. They are looking for a stallion whose progeny are value for money. A stallion with an Average Earning Index of 1.00 is an average stallion and his progeny earned -- again on an average -- close to Rs. 4 lakhs each during 2018-19. The stallion population in the country hovers around the 100 mark. Each year, about 20 stallions -- not counting those standing abroad or the Freshmen stallions -- have an AE Index of 1.00 or above. These figures give a rough guideline of a yearling or two year-old's earning potential and provide a thumb rule for evaluating the price sought. 

PAST THE POST

As in the case of stud farms, a recap of the decade's Champion Sires is given below. The figures represent number of starters, winners, wins, stakes earned by progeny and AE Index:-

2009-10 ALWAYS A RAINBOW[CAN] Chettinad/Sholavaram 92 66 194 Rs.9,96,62,525 3.46
2010-11 PLACERVILLE[USA] Poonawalla 172 84 159 Rs. 9,02,10, 195 1.56
2011-12 ALWAYS A RAINBOW[CAN] Chettinad/Sholavaram 100 78 189 Rs.11,50,36,250 3.23
2012-13 ALWAYS A RAINBOW[CAN] Chettinad/Sholavaram 92 64 202 Rs.11,40,73,461 3.32
2013-14 MULTIDIMENSIONAL[IRE] Usha/Mehra 75 48 83 Rs.15,32,10,111 5.07
2014-15 ALWAYS A RAINBOW[CAN] Chettinad/Sholavaram 88 48 134 Rs.10,34,13,296 2.80
2015-16 BURDEN OF PROOF[IRE] Kunigal 147 76 141 Rs.15,45,92,961 2.49
2016-17 MULTIDIMENSIONAL[IRE] Usha/Mehra 110 60 98 Rs.12,70,93,996 2.50
2017-18 EXCELLENT ART[GB] Poonawalla 105 56 101 Rs.10,46,11,548 2.58
2018-19 MULTIDIMENSIONAL[IRE] Usha/Mehra 118 54 98 Rs.10,36,82,381 2.22