Euro Most Expensive Sires vs Aussie Most Expensive Sires

The release of European service fees for all major farms in recent weeks and the current round of breeding stock sales in the Northern Hemisphere will have many bloodstock investors considering their options, so we thought a comparison of fees between leading European sires and leading Australian sires would hold some interest.

20yo Dubawi heads the European list at £350,000 with Darley raising his fee following a year in which he has soared to new heights to be Champion Sire of Europe by earnings with an astonishing 43 stakes-winners worldwide.

As many would remember, Dubawi shuttled to Australia early in his career coming for three seasons in 2006, 2008 and 2009, missing 2007 due to EI, and in those years stood at fees of $33,000 twice and then $16,500 on his last visit.

Both Darley and Coolmore send their very best prospects to shuttle to Australia in the early years at stud and you just never know which of those horses will ultimately be successful, so taking a ticket in that particular lottery each year is always a good idea.

No Nay Never is another interesting one. He shuttled to Coolmore for four seasons from 2016 to 2019 standing at $11,000 the first two years, then $19,250 and finally $44,000. He sired his first Group I winner here this spring in Madame Pommery and she will not be his last.

Wootton Basset is here for his second season at a fraction of his European fee, while St Mark’s Basilica and Palace Pier are also in Australia this spring and appear on the list below on the left hand column, but are priced well below that here. St Mark’s Basilica stands at Coolmore at $44,000 and Palace Pier at Darley at $55,000.

Too Darn Hot also in Australia for Darley and priced here at $44,000.

Zoustar is the one stallion priced higher in Australia than he is in the UK with his fee here of $198,000 well above his fee of £30,000 at Tweenhills Stud which equates to $A53,428.

The list below highlights the appeal of Australian racing and breeding as a whole picture with our sky high prizemoney driving a buoyant racing industry, while our stallions are priced attractively in comparison to their European counterparts in terms of position in the marketplace.

The list features the top sires for 2023 by price in Europe down to 40,000 euro/pounds and the equivalent in Australia.