For the 12th consecutive season, Bettor’s Delight was once again the leading sire in Australia.
The Woodlands Stud stallion was again in a class of his own in 2023 as his offspring won $13,733,364 and 963 races.
Art Major finished second with earnings of $9,792,600 and 861 races. Third was Captaintreacherous ($8,209,684 – 393 races) followed by Sweet Lou ($7,417,486 – 568 races) and a trio of Western Hanover line stallions in American Ideal ($6,518,542 – 543 races), Rock N Roll Heaven ($5,896,410 – 544 races) and A Rocknroll Dance ($4,590,489 – 441 races).
The Inter Dominion champion Leap To Fame, Diego (WA Pacing Cup), Speak The Truth, My Ultimate Ronnie, Braeview Kelly (NSW Ladyship Mile) and the Breeders Crown winner Major Delight were among Bettor’s Delight’s best winners last season.
Art Major was the premier sire of two-year-olds for the eighth time. His stock earned $1,527,936 in the closing season, with War Dan Buddy ($258,249), Luvareschs ($135,353), and Rylee Rhayne Bow ($114,027) the biggest contributors.
Sweet Lou topped the three-year-old sires’ list for the first time with a record $3,103,604 in progeny earnings. Among his leading winners were the Victoria Oaks winner Sweet Bella ($199,500), the WA sensation Never Ending ($166,956), Sky Lou NZ ($138,267) and the NSW Breeders Challenge victor Eye Keep Smiling ($130,419).
Former Kiwi superstar Lazarus was the leading first season sire with 14 individual two-year-old winners and $468,764.
On the trotting side, Majestic Son topped the all aged sire list for the eighth season on end. He was represented by the winners of 100 races and $2,686,232 in stakes.
Love You, the sire of champion mare Queen Elida, was second with $1,528,578, followed by Just Believe’s sire Orlando Vici ($944,907).
The Cantab Hall stallion Volstead was the premier sire of two-year-old trotters and the leading first crop sire with 11 winners and $411,699, while the deceased Muscle Hill import Aldebaran Eagle, due mainly to the brilliant filly Rockinwithattitude ($203,940), was the leading sire of three-year-old trotters with $407,048.
Incredibly, Bettor’s Delight captured the all aged, two-year-old and three-year-old broodmare sires’ premierships in every category – winners, races won and stakemoney. His daughters produced the winners of a record $13.9million in 2023, almost $1.6million ahead of his nearest rival Art Major.
The NZ siring colossus Sundon topped the Australian trotting broodmare sires’ table for the 13th consecutive season with $3.3million. He also headed the three-year-old list and finished second to Majestic Son on the two-year-old premiership.
Our Storm Girl, a three-year-old American Ideal half-sister to the Vicbred champion and Queensland Derby winner The Lost Storm, was a very impressive winner on debut at Ballarat. The filly was bred and is part-owned by Ballarat enthusiast Justin Baker.
The Chapter Seven five-year-old mare Aldebaran Acrux, a 1:55 winner in North America, has been shipped to Victoria and will begin pre-training at Aldebaran Park later this month.
Kyabram breeders Phil and Tracey Wade tasted success at the Cobram Cup meeting with their homebred mare Cheeki Philtra. The Modern Art mare has now won 13 races and more than $70,000 in stakes.
The opinions expressed in The Forum are those of the author and may not be attributed to or represent policies of Harness Racing Victoria, which is the state authority and owner of thetrots.com.au.