Fact or fiction – stallion myth busters

To breed the best horse you have to use the most expensive stallion, or have the best broodmare, or even better, a combination of both.

Fact? Or just a myth fuelled by those with the big bucks to profiteer from the lucrative yearling sales each year.

Surely a stallion who has left the equal fastest horse in the world for the year, is represented by Group 1 winners in both hemispheres, has progeny that average five times his service fee on the track and his APG yearlings throughout Australia averaged six times his fee in 2021, is one of those you just have to breed to.

But naturally enough a horse with an overview like the above comes with the expensive price tag and is not a realistic option for a lot of breeders.

Here is where we learn that using the most expensive stallion to have the most success is not fact… it is a myth.

The stallion in question is the world’s fastest three-year-old, the millionaire Meadowlands Pace winner, Hes Watching.

His service fee.. . $3300inc GST.

Standing his second season at Tipperary Equine, Young, Hes Watching has stamped himself in both hemispheres as the best value for money stallion at stud.

His first crop, now four-year-olds, is headed by the blistering 2020 Canadian Three-Year-Old of the Year and, just like his sire,million dollar earner, Tattoo Artist.

Tattoo Artist was a brilliant two-year-old winning the $250,000 Ontario Gold final, was better as a three-year-old tearing his way through the season which was possibly highlighted more in defeat than victory when he gave Tall Dark Stranger a scare in the $1million North American Cup.

Most importantly, he has returned at four and is again in the headlines as the equal fastest horse in the world this year when he stopped the clock in 1.47.1 earlier in the month.

Bursting out of the mobile to lead through a 25 opening quarter, Tattoo Artist kept the speed on through a astonishing 52 second first half before closing out quarters in 26.3 and 28.3.

Having two weeks between runs and returning to his Canadian trainer Ian Moore, Tattoo Artist once again showed his combination of blistering speed and rare strength when he broke the stallion track record with a 1.49 win in a $100,000 feature event at Georgian Downs on Sunday.

On the eve of the breeding season, Tattoo Artist’s record breaking spree could not have come at a better time for Hes Watching, reminding all in Australia why he covered 146 mares in his New South Wales debut.

“It was an amazing win by Tattoo Artist at The Meadowlands and almost as great on a smaller track on the weekend and it could not have come at a better time,” Tipperary Studmaster and principle Luke Primmer said.

“He is the pin up boy for Hes Watching and it shows that even though in the cheaper bracket of stallions, this horse can have you competing at the highest level.”

“The best part of Hes Watching is it matters little if they are fillies or colts, they can run.”

“Aside from Tattoo Artist, Hes Watching has left a magnificent mare in Watch Me Now who after her Group 1 win over Amazing Dream in New Zealand has had one start in the US for an absolute demolition job on her rivals to win in 1.49.3,” Primmer said.

With three crops of racing age down under, Hes Watching’s progeny have average almost $16000 per starter with his three and four-year-olds a magnificent 62 per cent winners to starters.

Hes Watching’s first crop, numbering just 51 is represented by 37 starters for 26 individual winners and include the Australian Group winners Blockjorg and Belladonna Girl as well as the green but amazingly talented Private Eye who took a 1.50.3 record at just his fourth start.

His second crop of 58 three-year-olds total 36 staters for 19 individual winners including the group 1 winner Hes Sweet and the three time group 1 placed Chamonix.

“His first two crops have done a terrific job with a 42 per cent winners to foals average, so when he is touted as the best value money for stallion, it’s very hard to argue against that,” Primmer  said.

“One of the impressive things about his progeny is certainly they appear to get better with age.”

“And given he left a group 1 winner and a group 1 place getter at two last season just shows that they may get better, but they are pretty handy at two also,” he said.

Hes Watching will be joined at the stud this season by the spectacular Ultimate Machete who has attracted an enormous amount of attention standing at only $2200inc GST.

To view more on Hes Watching click here.