Classic winner Almanzor earns fee increase after strong start to life at stud

Cambridge Stud has rewarded exciting stallion Almanzor with an increase in fee to NZ$50,000 (£26,000/€31,000) as the New Zealand operation released its fees on Thursday.

The stud will also welcome Group 1-winning two-year-old Sword Of State onto their roster this breeding season after confirming a four-strong line up, with the Te Akau-trained three-year-old set to embark on a Queensland Winter Carnival campaign before his fee is set later this year.

Almanzor, whose first two-year-olds this campaign have included Karaka Million 2YO winner Dynastic as well as the stakes placed Andalus, stood his first four seasons at stud in the southern hemisphere for a fee of NZ$30,000, but his rise sees him become the country’s joint-second highest priced stallion.

His first-crop juveniles have also included two Australian winners among five in total from 18 runners in the southern hemisphere, namely the Liam Howley-trained Virtuous Circle and Cranbourne debut winner Roznamla for the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young team.

Furthermore, he produced his first northern hemisphere-bred stakes winner on Saturday when the British-bred Unanimous Consent won at Aqueduct in the US, the three-year-old colt out of the Fastnet Rock mare Fast Lily remaining unbeaten from three starts.

However, Cambridge Stud CEO Henry Plumptre said on Thursday it is the returns in the sale ring that ultimately convinced the Brendan and Jo Lindsay-owned operation to elevate the fee of Almanzor, whose second-crop yearlings have averaged NZ$170,559 this year following on from the NZ$189,594 they averaged in 2021 when selling to a high of NZ$800,000 and finding their way into the leading stables in Australia, courting popularity with trainers such as Chris Waller as well as Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.

“We weren’t in a position to make that judgement call [on increasing his fee] in January or February, but picking up the Karaka Million within his first crop, that was quite a big win for us,” Plumptre told ANZ Bloodstock News.

“But I think probably the most telling factor was the great yearling market results again this year, which represents a great return to the breeders that bred to him, but importantly shows us that the market likes him; the trainers like him and the owners like him.

“The rise to NZ$50,000, in the New Zealand context, is probably enough, but the level of interest in the horse would tell us that we’re not going to have any problems filling his book.”

Almanzor will once again be joined by barnmate and fellow shuttler Hello Youmzain, with the dual Group 1 winner standing for an unchanged NZ$30,000. The pair are each limited to 140 mares per season in accordance with Cambridge Stud’s agreement with Haras d’Etreham, where the stallions stand the northern hemisphere season in France.

A key strength for both, Plumptre said, is the supportive syndicate of breeders behind them.

He said: “We are blessed to have a very strong syndicate behind Almanzor, he’s got some great breeders in there, and they’ve got some lovely broodmare bands behind them. That’s very much part of his strength in having that support from these breeders.

Fine sprinter Hello Youmzain has gone down well in New ZealandCredit: Grossick Racing (racingpost.com/photos)

“Many of our shareholders in Almanzor are in Hello Youmzain as well, and that gives us a headstart in terms of numbers.”

Hello Youmzain, winner of the Haydock Sprint Cup in 2019 and the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot a year later, was well received by New Zealand breeders, with the son of Kodiac filling his book for his first year shutting south.

“Hello Youmzain could have covered 200 mares last year, he was very popular, and we won’t have any trouble filling him again,” said Plumptre.

“He’s got a great physique and a great CV, winning two Group 1s in England including the signature race at Royal Ascot and Kodiac just keeps kicking goals. He’s getting a reputation now in Europe of being a sire of sires and that only helps our horse.

“New Zealand breeders, who are, quite rightly, highly critical of type, saw when he came down that he was such a great physical. He’s got fantastic bone and a great head and eye, a very good shoulder and hip, it’s hard not to like him.”

Cambridge Stud also confirmed Sword Of State would join their roster later this year, with the Sistema Stakes winner being given a final shot at Australian black type with a campaign in Queensland.

Rounding out the Cambridge Stud roster is Embellish, with the son of Savabee once again standing at a fee of NZ$4,000 despite impressive figures in the sale ring. His first yearlings brought an average of NZ$40,128 and a median of NZ$42,000 at the delayed Karaka yearling sales in March.

The stallion covered a book of 158 mares in 2021, his largest to date, with 132 foals on the ground from his first two crops.

Cambridge Stud stallion roster (all fees plus GST)

20222021

Almanzor (Wootton Bassett)$50,00030,000

Hello Youmzain (Kodiac)$30,000unchanged

Embellish (Savabeel)$4,000unchanged

Sword Of State (Snitzel)TBCnew

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