Champion Sire Proisir to stand for NZ$80,000 in 2024

Cover image courtesy of Rich Hill Stud

Off the back of another outstanding 12 months, New Zealand’s reigning Champion Sire Proisir will stand at a fee of NZ$80,000 (plus GST) at Rich Hill Stud in 2024.

The son of Choisir heads a roster of five stallions for the Waikato-based farm, joining Japanese Group 1 winner Satono Aladdin (Jpn), who comes back to New Zealand at a fee of NZ$65,000 (plus GST), Victoria Derby winner Ace High at NZ$15,000 (plus GST), Melbourne Cup hero Shocking at NZ$12,500 and the Group 1-producing sire Vadamos (Fr), who is at NZ$9000 (plus GST) in 2024.

Rich Hill’s John Thompson said the farm had enjoyed a memorable run over the last couple of years, headed by Proisir winning the New Zealand Sire Premiership last season, but also with the other four doing a very good job for breeders as well.

Shocking, Ace High and Vadamos have all sired Group 1 winners in the past 12 months, while Satono Aladdin’s reputation has been enhanced further, despite not having any New Zealand-conceived 2-year-olds this season, having missed a year during Covid.

Thompson said with Proisir’s best bred crops yet to come, Satono Aladdin’s eye-popping strike rate and Ace High producing a number of promising types in his first crop, there’s much for the Walton-based farm to look forward to.

“It’s been quite phenomenal really, but you know what it’s like, you just have to take it all in and get on with life,” Thompson said.

“You can’t rest on your laurels in our industry.”

Commercial success now accompanying Proisir’s racetrack results

Proisir’s fee rises after he covered a full book at NZ$70,000 (plus GST) last year. Rich Hill will restrict his book to 150 mares in 2024.

His tally of Group 1 winners now numbers six, with Waitak (NZ) becoming the latest with his Railway Stakes win earlier this year, while Legarto (NZ) added another Group 1 win to her scorecard this year.

Thompson said being crowned Champion New Zealand Sire last season was a milestone for Proisir and the fact he has backed it up by being second to Savabeel this season cements his place at the top-end of New Zealand stallions.

The big change in the last 12 to 18 months though has been the way his progeny are being received in the market place.

“A lot of his stock are now being sold into Australia. The Australian market has really taken to the horse and his best stock are coming through now,” Thompson said.

“The books of mares he’s had the last couple of years are a huge step up, so you get the feeling there’s only one way he can continue to go and that’s upwards.”

Proisir’s progeny grossed more than NZ$7million at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Premier Yearling Sale this year at an average of NZ$333,000, highlighted by a Karaka record-breaking NZ$1.6 million filly. That was off the back of the same sale 12 months earlier where his progeny also averaged better than NZ$300,000.

His four yearlings sold at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale this year averaged $282,500.

Rich Hill’s foundation stallion and long-time flagbearer Pentire (GB) also built his way up through the ranks, but Thompson said Proisir’s rise has been more pronounced.

“When Pentire come out he had a bigger profile and started with about a NZ$15,000 service fee, which at the time was a reasonable service fee for a first season stallion,” Thompson recalls. “But he wasn’t a syndicated horse and he was our first stallion, so in some ways he had to do it the hard way, which he did and sired 16 Group 1 winners.

“Proisir has been a phenomenon really. To start at seven grand and basically all of these Group 1 winners he’s sired have been out of mares– and I’m sure the people who bred them will admit – that weren’t Group 1 quality mares.

“He really didn’t have Book 1 quality mares in his first few seasons at NZ$7000, but the syndicate supported him really well – and the syndicate has bred a lot of his good horses, so he’s been a dream horse for them.

“Last year he had about 30 Book 1 mares and they (the yearlings) were only Book 1 because they were by Proisir. In future you will see progeny from more commercial mares and that’s really exciting for him.”

Proisir’s emergence is underlined by the fact he was standing at just NZ$17,500 two years ago.

“That was a pretty big jump at the time (up to NZ$70,000 last year), but … commercially wise he’s just gone to a different stratosphere.”

Satono Aladdin building outstanding strike rate

Deep Impact’s Group 1-winning son Satono Aladdin was also in the headlines at Karaka in January as the marketplace comes to recognise his potent ability to sire a Group horse in these parts.

From less than 80 individual runners in Australia and New Zealand, he’s sired eight Group winners, headed by the New Zealand and ATC Oaks winner Pennyweka (NZ).

That tally won’t rise with the current 2-year-old crop, because he missed that year, but he’s been popular the last few years and Thompson is excited about what is to come.

“His oldest are four now, but he’s running at something like 10.6 per cent not just stakes winners, but Group winners, to runners,” Thompson said.

“The last two seasons he’s been in New Zealand he’s been extremely popular. He covered 168 mares two years ago and 162 last year.

“Two years ago his fee was only NZ$12,500. We upped his fee to NZ$45,000 last year and he’s continued to kick on. At Karaka this year there was huge demand for his yearlings. His top priced filly made $900,000 and went into the Chris Waller stable so he has really given breeders a massive return on service fee.

“He throws a beautiful type and is a beautiful horse himself.

“He’s heading in the direction of being a real asset to the New Zealand industry.”

Satono Aladdin’s emergence on the Rich Hill roster traces back to the Thompson family’s relationship with Shadai, through the feats of Pentire.

“When Pentire passed away they came back to me and asked if I wanted another stallion," Thompson said.

“I said ‘as long as it’s a Group 1-winning son of Deep Impact!’ A little bit tongue in cheek, but they came to the party with this horse.

“It was interesting when he first came out. There had been a couple of sons of Deep Impact in Australia that had been a bit disappointing and he didn’t get massive numbers in his first few crops and he missed a year because of Covid, but he’s established himself as one of the up-and-coming sires in Australasia.”

Ace High going in the right direction

With his oldest progeny just 3-year-olds, Ace High has made a solid start and his fee of NZ$15,000 (plus GST) might look cheap if things go to plan during the Queensland racing carnival.

Ace High’s headliner to this point is Molly Bloom (NZ), already a Group 1 winner of the NZ 1000 Guineas and chasing more classic heading to the Group 1 Queensland Oaks.

“He’s made a great start. He has a lot of promising young horses around and could well prove a bargain this time next year,” Thompson said.

“Molly Bloom is on her way to Queensland and he has a really nice horse running (on Thursday at Pakenham) called Angland (NZ), who won his first start at Pakenham by 7.5 lengths. And there’s another nice filly who won a stakes race here called Drakaina (NZ) and she’s been sold to Bob Peters and is off to Perth.

“There’s quite a few other promising horses there as well.”

Thompson noted one of Ace High’s feature wins on the track came in a race the farm is very familiar with.

“I know he won the Victoria Derby, but he also won the (G1) Spring Champion Stakes, which is turning into a good sire’s race – you’ve got Dundeel, Proisir ran second in it and of course Savabeel,” he said.

“He’s got a beautiful pedigree Ace High. He’s by High Chapparal out of a Redoute’s Choice mare, out of a Sunday Silence mare. Pedigree wise you don’t see much better than him.”

Cup winner on fire this Autumn

Shocking and Vadamos round out the Rich Hill quintet for 2024, with both having enjoyed recent success with their progeny.

Shocking showcased his versatility as a sire in recent weeks when Mark Twain (NZ) took out the Listed Roy Higgins Quality (2600 metres) to qualify himself for the Melbourne Cup, before Here To Shock (NZ) ran away with the G3 Victoria Handicap (1400 metres) a week later.

Earlier in the season, El Vencedor (NZ) became his fourth individual Group 1 winner when downing Legarto in the New Zealand Stakes (2000 metres).

“We’ve possibly underrated him,” Thompson said. “It’s interesting with stallions. He’s always got a good horse and he’s an ideal stallion for a young mare if people want to go to a proven stallion for what’s probably a very affordable service fee.”

Vadamos’ top-ranked daughter La Crique (NZ) added another Group 1 to her scorecard in February, flying the flag for a stallion who will stand for NZ$9000 (plus GST) this year.

“He’s a Group 1 sire, throws a lovely type and is top 15 on New Zealand premiership,” Thompson said.

“We have lowered his fee to open him up to a new market. There’s a lot of people in New Zealand who will only have $NZ10,000 to spend on a service fee and he will fit the bill nicely.”

Table: Rich Hill Stud's stallion fees for the 2024 breeding season