Originally Posted by
dizzy
Trevor I think RWJ with his pedigree and race record is comparable to many other 1st season shuttle sires that have been available in recent years. I think that ultimately the Bettors Delight factor though will be a bit of a curse though, as BD has set the bar at a level that is unattainable for almost any sire. It's not that I think that RWJ won't succeed just that he will probably always be in the shadow of his older brother, which will probably evoke unfavourable comparisons. There is another brother I believe who wasn't as successful on the track, but I believe he is at stud, unsure as to how he has gone.
In the 1O years between BD and RWJ, there has been a lot of changes, no longer unlimited books in the US, There economy/industry is way in decline, Bettors after a season or two of frozen semen was one of the early shuttle sires, RWJ faces far more competition from an increased number of shuttle sires in a market were the mare population is in decline. I also think that BD slotted into a very good for him opportunity in time and place with the mostly NZ mare population he served in huge numbers in the southern hemisphere. RWJ has a different, and IMO a not as compatable mare population here in oz, and even if he proves to be outstanding is unlikely to cover as many mares as BD has.
Its allways hard to compare horses that raced in different seasons, in this case a decade apart, with a lot of opinion and subjectivity involved. John Peck has made what appears to be an objective assessment based on the number of 1:52 2yo in each season but I'm not sure if that is a valid comparison. It assumes that the only reason there were more in RWJ's year is that they were better then in BD's year, but how do you factor in things like improvements in track geometry and sulky design/availability, medications (%pop racing on Lasix) etc in the intervening 10 years. Even the prevailing climatic conditions in each year could have made a difference.
I think RWJ is worth of consideration on his own merits against his peers but that is a huge shadow that BD has cast