As this years series of yearling sales draws closer, the progeny of the leading sires in Australasia are once again under the harness racing spotlight as buyers study pedigrees and inspect likely types.
All the usual siring suspects are available again this year, headed by the champion sires Bettor's Delight and Art Major along with Somebeachsomewhere, Mach Three and Rock N Roll Heaven to name just a few but one stallion whose name we haven't heard much in discussions is the very well performed,Well Said.
With his first crops in Australasia only turning two this year, Well Said has had no progeny down under to represent him to date which makes it incredibly hard to establish yourself when the stallion marketplace is as strong and as crowded as it is in Australasia.
Both of his initial two year old crops in Australia (23) and New Zealand (14) are so small as to be insignicant which came as a real shock to us here at Harnesslink.
Afterall, Well Said has already established himself in the Northern Hemisphere as an elite sire at the highest level.
A 'Blue Blood' pedigree to die for which was coupled with a sensational racetrack career saw Well Said given every opportunity when he went to stud.
And he hasn't disappointed with a great record to date with numbers that suggest he deserves to be recongnised as one of today's elite sires.
From his first crop he produced the brilliant Uffizi Hanover 1:50.3 ($767,258) along with such standouts as Tellitlikeitis 1:48.4 ($513,917) and Southwind Silence 1:52.2 ($504,496).
With that crop now just turning five in North America, Well Said is touching $90,000 per average starter which is a sure sign that he will become a member of the elite $100,000+ club of stallions who average six figures per starter.
The second crop of Well Said carried on the good work as three year olds in the 2015 season with the likes of Lost For Words 1:49.3 ($913,571) and My Hero Ron 1:49.2 ($445,773) starring on the track and this crop already has an average per starter of nearly $70,000 so no drop off there.
While Well Said was well represented in most of the age group classics from his first two crops, the one misgiving some breeders held was could he produce that dominant youngster that everyone is looking for.
Well Control The Moment 1:49.4 ($461,457) from his third crop put that doubt to bed in emphatic fashion at two last season, dominating the division in a manner that we hadn't seen for several years.
His win in the Metro Pace in 1:49.4 was one right out of the box as he destroyed a quality field by lengths and he is the horse to beat in all the major three year old classics in North America in 2016.
Standing at Hanover Shoe Farms in Pennsylvania for $7,500 in the 2016 season, Well Said is now firmly established in the North American stallion marketplace which begs the question of what is happening in the Southern Hemisphere.
Well Said only has nine yearlings for sale in New Zealand this year and just eleven in the three legs of the Australian Pacing Gold which makes it really difficult for him to get any oxygen in the marketplace.
While there are only twenty Well Said yearlings for sale down under, several of them are from very well performed maternal families and at this stage one of those yearlings starring on the track next season at two is probably the only way Southern Hemisphere breeders and owners are going to reconise the elite stallion in their midst.
Harnesslink Media