Support our local industry.
I am interested whether it is better to buy NZ bred horses / imports or buy Australian bred. I understand some of the costs of importing but is the return really worth the extra $$$. There seem to be a lot of well bred AUS horses that seem to perform well. Any stats to back either option up.
Support our local industry.
Have whoever you want on but don't ever have yourself on
Steve, Do your study as there are plenty of good choices at the local sales as Greg mentioned. Merry Xmas
Depends on what state of preparedness you want them to be and how much patience you have.
Up until 5 years ago, i would have said NZ with little hesitation. No longer. The bloodlines now available in Aust(many of these are strong NZ families) are every bit as good as those in NZ.
I was only commenting the other day, that the APG sales catalogue for 2014 is the strongest i have ever seen and rivals the NZ catalogue for depth of quality.
This is a great thing as it means overall quality is up, which means owners have a greater chance of getting a horse to the races and a greater chance of then winning races.
In the recent Vic Cup, there were 13 horses(incl emergency). 7 NZ bred, 6 Aust. The top 2 placegetters were Aust bred, as were 3 out of top 4 and 4 out of top 5 placegetters!
PS - i consider myself neutral on the subject as I bred extensively in both NZ and Aust
thanks for the replies . the only difference with the horses as I see it now is the $$$$ and the NZ after there name.
Sorry Harvey but I have heard it for the last forty years. Nothing has changed in the last five years. We have always sold our mares and racing fillies to Australia since I've been in the industry and have been repeatedly told that Australia was overtaking us or better but it never happens. All that has changed is that those mares progency is now put through the yearling sales where in the past they were raced by their breeders. From Jack Honan to Mick Lombardo our fillies and mares have been brought in Nz and bred from in Australia for decades. So what is the missing ingredient. In my humble opinion it is the physical enviroment . Due to the temperate climate and pasture that goes with that, Nz will always have a major advantage over Australia when it comes to rearing young horses. Many Australians breed their horses in Nz for that reason.
Hi Viv, Totally agree the pastures and climate play a big part in the foals upbringing but the gap has narrowed somewhat in the ability some of our pacers are showing and a bit of this is due to the purchasing of very good fillies and broodmares from New Zealand and North America, But I think that we are still a long way behind NZ with the Trotting fraternity.
Viv,
If you look at the results you will find that a lot has changed in the last 10 years. The constant plundering of our group races by NZ bred horses has dried up. No race bears that out more emphatically than the Vic Derby, a race that always attracts the very best 3YO's from both countries. For 8 years in succession from 1996 to 2003 it was won by a NZ bred colt. In the 10 years since then it has been won only 3 times by a NZ bred colt and 7 times by an Aust bred colt.
The first 5 runnings of the Chariots of Fire were won by NZ bred colts. In the 13 runnings since then it has been won 8 times by an Aust bred and only 5 by a NZ bred.
What has changed in recent years that might explain the shift ?
It is not the grass and it is not the broodmare bands. What has changed very significantly is the quality of the stallions now available to Australian breeders. Over the years, a succession of very good stallions stood in NZ (including In The Pocket, Holmes Hanover, Smooth Fella, Vance Hanover, Falcon Seelster, Christian Cullen and most recently Bettors Delight and Mach Three). By contrast Australia based stallions were generally not in the same ball park. The status quo changed however when unlimited books were allowed in Australia along with the use of transported semen. Not only could Aust breeders access the same stallions that NZ breeders had available to them by way of chilled semen but they could also now afford to acquire the very best USA stallions and stallion prospects. Along came Fake Left followed a little later by Grinfromeartoear and Art Major. In the last few years Australian stallion ranks have been boosted by the presence of Somebeachsomewhere, Rocknroll Hanover, Sportswriter, Rock n Roll Heaven, Shadow Play and Roll With Joe. In the same time NZ studs have acquired ............?
The world has changed Viv. The resurgence of the Australian bred pacer has a full head of steam and the kiwi studs need to do something in a hurry if they don't want to be left behind.
Last edited by eliteblood; 12-29-2013 at 02:26 AM.