Playing Our Part
Stallion success is about knowledge, experience, belief and commitment; knowledge and experience to identify the right prospects, and belief and commitment to give them every opportunity in terms of broodmare support and marketing to be successful. That’s why we have always taken a long term view of our stallions’ careers and why we are necessarily limited in the stallions we can and will stand.
Our belief is that broodmare support does not mean covering huge books of mares, but rather covering books of higher quality matrons including those in our own broodmare band. Without doubt this gives our commercial breeders the opportunity to sell their yearlings to advantage. Furthermore, once we have made the commitment to stand a stallion we maintain our support for him long after his first year. This ensures that stallions of the calibre of Redoute’s Choice and Flying Spur continue on as they started. That philosophy is being applied to our “young guns” Charge Forward, Snitzel, Starcraftand Not A Single Doubt.
Importantly, breeders also know that, at Arrowfield, our approach to service fees is universally consistent, except for our usual discounts for multiple bookings.
Arrowfield has supported the yearling market this year in a significant way by buying from its customers. This support, not limited to our own stallions, in whom we believe, will continue into the future.
We understand that planning matings in uncertain markets is a difficult task. Whilst our stallions performed well at the Easter Yearling Sales, the selection of a stallion for a mare should encompass a great deal more than last week’s sales results – these will be immaterial when the resultant yearling is sold, or reaches the racecourse. The important questions are: What will be the commercial appeal of this stallion in three year’s time? And, what chance does he give the mare of leaving a stakeswinner or a Group One winner?
In making that determination we simply ask that breeders consider the Arrowfield track record. If they place their faith in Arrowfield we give them our commitment that we will be “playing our part“.
