Red hot stallion in fee reduction

Waikato Stud continues to ride a wave of Australasian success and their announcement of service fees for 2009 further emphasises the outstanding value for money options on the stallion roster. The Chittick family's Matamata stud is looking ahead with confidence to uphold its proud tradition as a breeding ground of future champions.

Already this season Waikato has produced four individual Group 1 winners - Metal Bender (Randwick Guineas), Alamosa (Toorak Handicap), Swick (VRC Stakes) and Daffodil (NZ 1000 Guineas) - to maintain its enviable strike rate at the top level. It has also been represented by a further 10 individual stakes winners across Australasia and Asia.

Waikato Stud has recognised current market conditions in setting its service fees for the upcoming breeding season.

"Across the board we believe we have been very fair and in light of the economic situation we know it's the right thing to do," Garry Chittick said.

"We appreciate the fabulous support we receive from breeders and we want them all to continue to share in the stud's success.

"O'Reilly will stand at $50,000 + GST this year and that's exceptional value for a stallion of his quality and record," Chittick said.

O'Reilly currently shares the top Australasian spot with Encosta De Lago as this season's leading producer of Group winners with 10 apiece and is second on the Group 1 sires' table. O'Reilly has left 12 individual stakes winners already this term with Alamosa (Toorak Handicap), Swick (VRC Classic) and MacO'Reilly (NZ Stakes, Whakanui Stud International Stakes) heading his Group 1 list.

O'Reilly will serve a limited book of 120 mares this season with 70 outside spots available and the son of Last Tycoon's popularity is again evident. "About half those places have already been booked," Chittick said.

Fees for associate stallions have been set with Pins at $40,000 + gst (was $50,000 + gst); Savabeel $20,000 + gst (was $30,000 + gst); Fast 'N' Famous $10,000 + gst (was $15,000 + gst) and Scaredee Cat $6500 + gst (was $8,000 + gst). No Excuse Needed, sire of the NZ Filly of the Year Daffodil (Gr. 1 NZ 1000 Guineas) will remain at $12,000 + gst.

"No Excuse Needed represents great value at that fee for what he has achieved in a relatively brief career," Chittick said. He has also left stakes winners Takeanotherchance (Wanganui Guineas), Miss Millbrook (Dunedin Guineas) and Lesley Brook (Welcome Stakes) this term.

Group 2 winners Megapins (Wellington Cup) and Pinsoir (Concorde Handicap) have flown the Pins flag in 2008-09 along with the Gr.3 winner Katie Lee (Eclipse Stakes) and the Listed winners Tootsie (Te Rapa Sprint), Raid (Lion Red Plate) and Bella Valentina (Listed Durbridge Plate).

Savabeel has made a sensational start to his career with My Emotion crediting him with his first racetrack success when she won the Group 3 Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes in Melbourne. Fellow first-season sire Scaredee Cat has also made an encouraging start with Cat Woman a recent runaway winner to get him off the mark. Fast 'N' Famous has been well-received by breeders since his retirement and his first foals arrived last spring to widespread acclaim from breeders.

"We feel we are offering breeders fantastic opportunities to breed to an exciting array of stallions both proven and with foals coming through at very competitive prices," Chittick said.

"Breeders can go forward with confidence off the back of past books of both quality and quantity the stallions have all served."

For further information contact Mark Chittick 021 433 252