Quote Originally Posted by Mitch View Post
I'm probably getting off topic here but I would be really keen to get your thoughts on the whole shift toward American/Canadian stallions and their proliferation in the Australian standardbred market, call me a traditionalist but I think the vast majority that stand in australia are overrated/overpriced and we have underrated the value of colonial stallions. My knowledge on standardbred breeding is only very limited given I have much greater experience and knowledge with the TBs hence the question?
[VVV] G'day again Mitch,
I'm generally loathe to concede that they get much right in the breeding arena however I am very much in favour of following the TB model when it comes to initially shuttling the best available sires and then patronising their best locally bred, locally performed sons.

I think we're still a little way off that sort of thing being in full swing but I'm confident it will become more and more common in the future. We've already seen the initial sparks fly with the likes of Christian Cullen and Courage Under Fire. There'll always be a place for shuttle sires however if and when they produce a comparable product to that which is available overseas then I can't see any reason why Breeders in this country should not line up to support it.

On that score, it might come as somewhat of a shock to many people, it certainly did to me, that here in Australia, currently WE DO NOT HAVE A SINGLE BIG $$$$ CLASSIC EVENT FOR 3YO COLTS OVER THE MILE, such a race obviously allowing aspiring sires to race & prove themselves when in against the best around...and with it the opportunity to post a slick time. Instead we ask them to head off on a series of 2300m+ slogs. ????????

If we're going to genuinely aspire to producing our own home-grown sires then we must look to affording them at least some form of opportunity to post comparable juvenile times and have comparable juvenile $.

The duplicity of the Breeders down this way can be a little confusing at times too.
For an imported Sire they'll invariably zero in on the juvenile performances and shun aged efforts...however with a local bred it seems to be all about how they've performed as aged horses on the Grand Circuit????. Buggered if I can work that one out. It makes no sense at all.