The burgeoning success of Armidale's stallions has been a collective effort and we would like to start by thanking breeders for their ongoing support.
Over the past 12 months, Armidale's sire success has extended from the sales ring onto the racetrack, and we're thrilled with the stronghold that Needs Further and Alpine Eagle have held within the market.
With you, the breeder, at the forefront of our decision-making process, we're proud to present our stallions at competitive service fees, offering excellent value and lucrative upside.
We have, therefore, chosen to stand Needs Further and Alpine Eagle at reduced fees in 2023.
NEEDS FURTHER
Needs Further's status as a preeminent sire of precocious and ultra-fast sprinter-milers has gone to another level this season, with the Group 1 sire represented by numerous top-tier juvenile winners.
"His ability to sire dominant two-year-olds is remarkable," said Armidale Stud’s David Whishaw.
"Five of his sixteen individual two-year-old winners are stakes-winning juveniles and he's sired four of the past seven Elwick Stakes winners, with two going on to complete the Gold Sovereign Stakes double."
To date, Needs Further has sired seven individual black-type winners, including current season two-year-old stakes winners Needs Sugar and The Spirit Of Zero.
"His progeny are built for speed, have great brains and love getting stuck into their work," David said.
"We're really seeing those attributes come into play with his racing stock who can get up and run early, then go on to have long and successful racing careers as older horses."
2023 TRC Thousand Guineas winner Just a Needs is an up-and-comer from his current three-year-old crop and placed in both the Listed Tasmanian Oaks and Listed Strutt Stakes this season.
"Needs Further is unbelievably consistent and always has good horses coming through the grades. His impressive stud record boasts a Group 1-winning Champion 3YO, a blistering Flemington stakes winner and multiple leading two-year-olds," David said.
His yearlings didn't miss a beat in the sales ring this year, selling for up to $80,000 and averaged nearly nine times his service fee.
Needs Further will stand for $5,500 inc GST in 2023.
ALPINE EAGLE
Alpine Eagle has excelled through every phase of his career and is poised to continue his success into the upcoming season.
Awarded the title of Leading Juvenile Sire at the 2022 Tasmanian Racing Awards, he was among Australia's leading second season sires last season.
His record of winners put him in front of the likes of Extreme Choice and to date, he has sired 43 individual winners that have won on 80 occasions.
"His winners tally just keeps snowballing," David said.
"He throws great looking horses – they're well put together, athletic and with three crops of racing age, they've well and truly proven they can run too."
Alpine Eagle has sired prevalent horses such as dual stakes-winning Champion Three-Year-Old Alpine Wolf, but most importantly, he's got city winners in three states across Australia, including several stakes horses.
"We're very pleased with how Alpine Eagle is tracking, and with his largest crop turning two this year, we anticipate a big couple of seasons ahead," David said.
With a large contingent of yearlings offered in 2023, Alpine Eagle's yearlings sold for up to $72,500 and averaged an impressive six-times service fee.
Alpine Eagle will stand for $4,400 inc GST in 2023.
