Gotta Go Cullen fails to fire

One of the best bred and best performed harness racing stallions in New Zealand Gotta Go Cullen is coming to a crossroads in his siring career.

Gotta Go Cullen was a great racehorse in New Zealand as a two year old where he won nine from eleven with two placings for $196,194 in stakes.

His opposition at two included such outstanding horses as Changeover 1:53.4 ($2,426,765) and Washakie 1:50.5 ($1,838,473) so it was a stellar crop but Gotta Go Cullen was dominant.

At three Changeover turned the tables on Gotta Go Cullen with his several placings behind the budding champion including a second in the New Zealand Derby and a third in the Harness Jewels.

The best performance by Gotta Go Cullen at three was in Australia where he won the New South Wales Derby over Lombo Pocket Watch and company.

At four he upset Monkey King 1:50.8 ($3,487,401) to win the $400,000 Auckland Cup while in Australia he finished second in the Victoria Cup to Melpark Major 1:53.4 ($979,056).

At five Gotta Go Cullen struggled to recapture his best form winning just two from fifteen but he still pocketed $219,651 in stakes.

When retired to stud Gotta Go Cullen had faced the starter 56 times for 24 wins and 17 placings for $1,173,343 in stakes

So Gotta Go Cullen had the race record to deserve a chance at stud and he had the breeding to go with the race record.

Gotta Go Cullen as his name would suggest is a son of New Zealand's champion home grown sire in Christian Cullen 1:54.1 ($1,249,150) who has done an unbelivable job from his New Zealand base.

As of today Christian Cullen has sired the winners worldwide of $82,136,22 which is an outstanding achievement.

The dam of Gotta Go Cullen is a half sister to the dual New Zealand Cup winner IL Vicolo 1:55.6 ($1,580,948) and to the dam of Stunin Cullen 1:54.1 ($1,493,716) which of course makes Stunin Cullen a three quarter brother to Gotta Go Cullen.

It is hard to find a Australasian pedigree any stronger than this one.

So entering the stallion barn, Gotta Go Cullen had impressive credentials but the reults to date have been very disappointing.

Gotta Go Cullen's servive fee was set at $4,000 which would been a major contributing factor to the very small book of 39 mares that he served in year one and the subsequent years there after.

That first crop which numbers 29 live foals are now four year olds of which twelve have qualified and just four have won a race with the winners being as follows.

Tempest Cullen 1:58.2 ($19,705)

Full Tilt 1:55.2 ($18,542)

Gotta Grunter 1:56.7 ($16,988)

John Jones 2:01.9 ($9,028)

The stats don't make very good reading as you can see.

The four winners are all now racing in Australia

Foals  –  29

Qualifiers – 12

Winners   –  4

Winners to live foals %  –  13:79%

In his second season Gotta Go Cullen covered 58 mares from which he left 38 live foals who are now three year olds

To date 17 have qualified with four having won a race at this point in the season and the four winners are

Nero Star – 2:00.5 ($17,365)

I Am The One 2:02.2 ($10,579)

Chantrey 1:58.7 ($5,814)

Going Going Gone 2:05.1 ($4,381)

Nero Star has looked a really nice horse in the making with three wins and three seconds from his seven starts this season.

The stats however are again not very inspiring.

Foals  –  38

Qualifiers  –  17

Winners  –  4

Winners to live foal %  –  10:52%

In his third season Gotta Go Cullen served just 32 mares which resulted in 25 live foals who are now two year olds.