Quote Originally Posted by eliteblood View Post
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.
I know that is not a serious comment . It cant be as all the stallions you mention have been available via fresh semen for breeders in both countries for longer than i care to remember. It use to make a difference 20 years ago which country a stallion stood in but doesnt anymore and hasnt for quite a while. All the stallions you mention are available in Nz . Its simple economics for studs in both countries . And I dont want to decry the Vctorian Derby but it is a bad fit for our 3yr olds which is why you don't see our leading 3yr olds every year in it. You won't this year. The Breeders crown is fast becoming the preferred option as it is a much bettor fit with our derbys. We can all cherry pick races/stats to highlight. 13 of the top 20 stake earners in Australia last year were Kiwi bred. 3 of the top 4 stallions on your sire list last year were standing in Nz. Nz has two major issues facing it and they are interrelated. One is the dramatic fall in our foal numbers which have fallen to just over 3000 which is half what we were 15 years ago. Our industry is not sustainable at those numbers long term and a lot of effort is going into incentives to get more mares bred. The second part is our stake levels which are appalling. However both Auckland and Addington are making real progress on stakes and for once the light at the end of the tunnel may not be the train. Finally I think anyone who under plays the importance of climate and pasture in rearing horses is ignoring history. Ireland,Kentucky and New Zealand have it-- Australia doesn't