The return of the Arrowfield Open House

John & Kris Messara, Paul & Alice Messara and the Arrowfield team were delighted last weekend to welcome clients, friends and guests to the Stud’s first Stallion Open House since 2019.

Perfect Hunter Valley Spring weather, excellent coffee, tasty brunch food and plenty of horsey chat set the scene for the presentation of seven of Arrowfield’s 9 stallions for 2022. Headed by four-time Champion Sire Snitzel, they all paraded in magnificent order and will soon be joined by Japanese shuttlers Maurice & Admire Mars ahead of the breeding season which begins on 1 September.  

2022 Arrowfield Stallion Open House – photos by Joan Faras

Group 1 sire Dundeel, presented by Stallion Manager Joe Hickey

Alex Whittaker with Shalaa, sire of 4 Australian 2YO SW

Mitchell Ralph parades Pariah, already sire of a 2YO GW

Dual G1 winner Castelvecchio makes his public parade debut

The "leather jacket-wearing, rule-defying rock god" Snitzel

Dual Group 2 winner Showtime's first 2YOs race this season

5-time G1 winner The Autumn Sun's first 2YOs race this season

DID YOU KNOW…?

• Arrowfield’s 2022 roster includes  two Horses of the Year, 4 Champions and the winners of $30 million prizemoney & 25 Group 1 races in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, France & England.
• Arrowfield’s 5 stallions with racing progeny have collectively sired 160 SW including 33 Group 1 winners.
• Last season alone, Arrowfield’s current stallions generated more than $155 million in yearling sale returns to breeders and prizemoney returns to owners.
• The dams of Dundeel‘s 300+ just-turned 2YOs and yearlings include more than 3 times the number of stakes-performed mares, and twice the number of stakes producers that produced Dundeel’s stunning first two crops. 
• Every single Shalaa yearling offered at the 2022 Magic Millions, Melbourne Premier & Inglis Easter Sales sold, averaging $187,000 (6.2 times his current fee).
• Last season Pariah was one of only 4 first-season sires that left an Australian 2YO SW.
• Arrowfield has three stallions on its 2022 roster that have won Group 1 races at 2 & 3: Admire Mars, Castelvecchio & The Autumn Sun.
• Both of Maurice‘s first-crop 3YO Group 1 winners Hitotsu & Mazu are out of mares by Danehill’s Champion Sire sons Redoute’s Choice & Flying Spur.
• Admire Mars won the Hong Kong Mile G1 in near-record time of 1:33.25 – faster than Maurice, and faster than Beauty Generation, Golden Sixty and Sunline.
• Snitzel has averaged one black type win every 13 days for the past 6 years, and returned more than half a billion dollars to breeders & vendors, owners & trainers.
• Just like Showtime, leading sire Not A Single Doubt & Group 1 sire Beneteau, as well as Champion Sires I Am Invincible & Written Tycoon all began their careers at bottom-drawer fees – from $8250 to $13,250 inc. GST.
• The Autumn Sun is by a Champion Sire son of Danehill from a daughter of Champion Sire Galileo; while world champion racehorse & European supersire Frankel is by Galileo from a daughter of Danehill.