With the new breeding season less than a month away, Victorian studs are finalising their sire rosters as broodmare owners stew over the credentials of the plethora of stallions which will have a bearing on their breeding decisions.

Alabar Bloodstock’s starstudded lineup, which is anchored by champion sire Art Major, has one notable absentee from the previous season, namely, Always B Miki, who had a health setback in North America and will not be shuttling this year.

The roster includes proven sire Rock N Roll Heaven, the North America Cup winner Pebble Beach, the well performed first crop sires Captain Crunch, The Storm Inside and Ride High, and the trotters Majestic Son, the leading sire for the last nine years, this season’s leading first season sire Elite Stride and the Hambletonian winner Tactical Approach.

Empire Stallions’ frozen sire roster comprises Captaintreacherous, who has headed the Australian two-year-old sire list twice, and Stay Hungry, the second leading first season two-year-old sire in 2024.

Llowalong Farms, conducted by Dr Kath McIntosh, is offering five stallions for the new season. The lineup is headed by last season’s premier first crop sire Poster Boy, who has served full books for the last four seasons, and Soho Tribeca, fifth on last year’s rookie sires’ list.

Proven sire Yankee Rockstar is again standing at Llowalong together with the trotting sires Pastor Stephen, whose initial crop are racing as three-year-olds, and King Of The North, the $1.3 million winning son of all-conquering American sire Walner.

King Of The North, who stood his first two ‘down under’ seasons in the flesh at Llowalong, will be available via frozen semen only this year.

Helpisontheway, a Stakes-winning son of Chapter Seven and the sire of the $50,000 APG Melbourne Sales Graduate winner Harperseven, and the Christian Cullen horse Raging Bull, who were formerly part of the Llowalong roster, will be available from different locations this season.

Helpisontheway’s frozen semen is accessible from Geoff and Lorraine Barnes’s Balmain Lodge, Tatura, while Raging Bull will stand in the Wagga district under the direction of veterinarian Dr Lauren Eggins.

Haras Des Trotteurs’ has added the Italian bred 2024 Great Southern Star winner Callmethebreeze, and two Group winning sons of Ready Cash in Always Ready and All Cashed Up to its impressive sire roster.

Callmethebreeze will join the proven Muscle Hill horse E L Titan, and Classic Connection, the sire of the recent NSW Foundation Trot winner Cee Cee In Paris, at the Goulburn Valley Equine Centre under the Haras Des Trotteurs’ banner.

Always Ready and Used To Me are slated to stand at the Somerset Farms stud, of Pete and Chantal Turpin in Queensland, while All Cashed Up and On A Streak will join the stallion strength at Wai Eyre Farm in New Zealand’s Southland district.

A newcomer to the ranks of Victorian pacing sires will be the 2YO Colt of the Year and Kilmore Cup winner Major Moth, who is standing at Leah Crane’s Riverview Lodge, Kyneton.

Aldebaran Zeus, a former Australian 3YO Trotting Colt of the Year and five-time Group 1 winner, is slated to stand his first season at Aldebaran Park this season alongside the leading colonial bred trotting stallion Skyvalley. Dancinginthedark M, the brilliantly fast Readly Express horse, has returned to Sweden after three seasons at Aldebaran Park.

The Craven family bred a winning double in consecutive races at Maryborough on Monday with Jilliby Tidalwave and Jilliby Tomcat.

Ride High, who stands at Alabar Bloodstock, has jumped to the top of the first season sires’ list this year.

Cranbourne club president David Scott bred and races the four-year-old trotting mare Hurricane Katie, who notched her first success at Shepparton.