Thank you for your congratulations re the recent Breeders Crown Heats and Semi's successes. Rocknroll Icon and Form Analyst are both in the paddock so these are the only 4 we have left in work. They did us proud , however the Finals will all be tough ,just hoping for no bad luck. As for breeding insights , I tend to do my own thing. Probably do it in reverse to some , if I like a stallion I try and find a mare to match up with him. Because of the American mares I follow the breeding trends in the USA and have a lot of time for the Direct Scooter line ; a great source of speed and has worked so well down here. Doubling up on DS and his sons is something I look to do . Pedigree is a part of the puzzle but temperament and physical attributes are part of the package. I also place a lot of importance on the Mares ; they only have ONE foal a year compared to some stallions who have 100+and their value cannot be underestimated. I like strong Dam Sire lines , the more Group winners and Sires in a family the better. The Internet has opened up a whole new world for Breeders to do their own research. Many years ago we imported a couple of Australian mares who had raced very successfully in the USA but we had very little luck breeding from them . I love old Posh Jaccka dearly ( she's 24 ) and has a home for life but I would"t bother with mares that have had a hard racing life again. There are always exceptions to every rule and breeding horses is a very personal experience as everyone has an opinion and an experience to share.
Nutrition and care of the mare and foal is also paramount and we are fortunate to have our own farm where they can be treated as individuals and brought in for extra attention if required.