of imported mares – HELMET, KING’S ROSE, WALL STREET, REKINDLED INTEREST and AVIENUS. That’s nearly 40% of the field. Quite amazing when you consider imported mares only make up around 10% of the Australasian broodmare population.  

When comparing results of the European versus the US imported mares, it the US mares which Howard feels have really shone brightly. In recent times some of the Group 1 winners out of US bred mares include ABSOLUT GLAM, ALL AMERICAN, ALVERTA, ANABANDANA, AQUA D’AMORE, ASSERTIVE LAD, ASSERTIVE LASS, DIATRIBE, EXCEED AND EXCEL, GALLICA, HASNA, HELLENUS, IRISH LIGHTS, KEEPER, LAD OF THE MANOR, MAKYBE DIVA, MALDIVIAN, MENTALITY, MISS FINLAND, NORTHERN METEOR, RED RULER, REPUBLIC LASS, SWISS ACE, THESEO, TYPHOON ZED and ZAVITE. And then consider our greatest home bred sires in the past 10 years are either sons or grandsons of mares conceived in the US – REDOUTE’S CHOICE, ZABEEL, ENCOSTA DE LAGO and FLYING SPUR.

For a number of years now, Howard has been a regular visitor to the annual Kentucky November breeding stock sales. From the small number of mares Randwick Bloodstock has been involved with importing from the USA, these mares have produced the likes of HASNA (Champion Australian 2yo), DIATRIBE (VATC Caulfield Cup, STC Rosehill Guineas) and BLUE MURDER (SAJC SA Derby). These three mares were purchased from as little as $25,000 and all were under $100,000. And at the Kentucky sales over the past 2 years we have been able to secure for clients close family relations to DANEHILL, LAST TYCOON and VINDICATION (Champion US 2yo). Once again these were purchased from as little as $25,000 and all secured for less than $100,000.

The sales series gets under way on the 6th November with the one day Fasig-Tipton Sale. This is immediately followed by the Keeneland Breeding Stock Sale, which commences the following day and runs for 11 straight days, ending on the 17th November. Combined, these two sales will offer a selection of over 2,000 Broodmares and Broodmare Prospects.

If you have been contemplating an upgrade to your broodmare band, Howard will be on hand to assist with a possible purchase. The US dollar is still close to record lows against many currencies including the Australian and NZ Dollars. So apart from being able to acquire a quality product, it can currently be acquired at a value price. Howard noted at present it costs around $20,000 to fly a horse from the US to Australia. But adds its been proven time and time again, it is money well spent.

Should you have an interest in purchasing at these two upcoming sales, please contact Brett Howard on 02 4998 6488 or email him at randwickbloodstock@bigpond.com. He is happy to arrange for the sales catalogues to be mailed to you ASAP. Or if you would prefer, catalogues can easily be downloaded as PDF files from both the Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton web sites.