Harness racing sensation Lazarus is putting the writing on the wall that his stud career could be every bit as prodigious as his talents on the racetrack.
The "Wonder From Down Under" has started his first Southern Hemisphere breeding season at Yirribee Pacing Stud at Wagga Wagga, in the NSW Riverina.
An early season Charles Sturt University fertility analysis has given a glowing report of Lazarus' semen, for its quality and longevity. And now that's being backed up in the barn, with perfect early service results for the superstar.
The first three mares served in Australia are all confirmed to be in foal and in New Zealand Breckon Farms Manager Nigel Fahy is thrilled the first mare served in New Zealand has a confirmed pregnancy.
"The first mare served by Lazarus in New Zealand is in foal – it's one of our own mares Tyler Bromac," Fahy said.
"Tyler Bromac is a half-sister to promising pacer Mohs Em Down who has won three races this year for leading North Island trainer Barry Purdon."
Lazarus had a full book of 136 mares in North America and his conception rate was excellent, with over 90 percent of the mares confirmed in foal. With the excellent clinical reports on Lazarus' semen and confirmation of four pregnancies from his first four services in Australasia, breeders can proceed with confidence in snapping up remaining opportunities to send their mares to the first-season fresh semen stallion.
Lazarus so far has 200 Southern Hemisphere confirmed bookings, with a number of black-type mares, indicating fastidious breeders are keen to take advantage of the impeccable pedigree on offer.
Lazarus is bred on Australasia's "golden cross" – by breed-defining stallion Bettor's Delight out of a Christian Cullen mare. He has eight crosses to the great Meadow Skipper in his five-generation pedigree, similar to Sweet Lou, McWicked, Foiled Again and Anndrovette.
A multiple Stakes winner at 2, the precocious Lazarus displayed his brilliance as a juvenile winning six times from eight starts, pacing the fastest two-year-old mile ever down under in 1:52.4. He was named New Zealand Horse of the Year twice, three-year-old Pacer of the Year, four-year-old Pacer of the Year and five-year-old Pacer of the Year, and Australian Horse of the Year, as well as Australasian Grand Circuit Champion for two years, compiling an international race record of 51 starts, 37 wins, eight seconds and four thirds.
With stakes of more than $4 million, Lazarus is the richest standardbred stallion in history to stand at stud anywhere in the world and was sold to US thoroughbred breeding giant Taylor Made Stallion in a record deal last year.
He served a full book of mares in his first season at the prestigious Deo Volente Farms in New Jersey USA and NSW premier racing outfit Club Menangle beat several leading stud farms earlier this year to buy the Southern Hemisphere breeding rights.
Terry Gange
NewsAlert PR Mildura