Home Affairs, Snitzel Take Australian Sire Titles

In a season that has seen multiple sires' tables pushed all the way, Coolmore's burgeoning stallion Home Affairs (AUS) produced a huge opening season as he conquered all in the first-season sires' category—and also finished narrowly runner-up in the 2-year-old table. The son of I Am Invincible (AUS)'s top performer on the track by some distance has been Guest House (AUS), winner of the Golden Slipper (G1) and third in the Blue Diamond Stakes (G1). The colt has amassed a total of AU$3,275,500 during his opening campaign, meaning his sire finished atop of the first-season sires' table by just short of a whopping AU$4 million over Darley shuttler Pinatubo (IRE). Over in New Zealand and Home Affairs' top performer was Eclipse Stakes (G2) scorer Kinnaird, who brought in a considerably less but still as important AU$166,375 in prize money, leaving his sire sitting more than AU$100,000 clear of nearest rival Sword of State (AUS). New Zealand's leading 2-year-old sire race has also gone down to the last few days, with Newgate's Russian Revolution (AUS)leading Westbury Stud's El Roca (AUS) for the home team by AU$14,750. A win for Back of the Bus in the July 30 Ryder Stakes helped stamp the crowning of Hello Youmzain (FR) as New Zealand's leading second-season sire, with the Cambridge Stud-based stallion taking the title ahead of Windsor Park's Circus Maximus (IRE). Back over in Australia and the second-season sires' race was another to go the distance, with Darley's breakout sire Bivouac (AUS) holding off the challenge of Coolmore's late shuttler Wootton Bassett. Leading broodmare sire in Australia has again gone the way of the fantastic Fastnet Rock, with the late Coolmore sire copping an almost AU$7 million lead over nearest rival Redoute's Choice, with Exceed And Excel back in third. Over in New Zealand, O'Reilly scooped up his fifth successive leading broodmare sire title, taking home first prize ahead of Savabeel by more than AU$1 million. Snitzel Reigns as Leading General Sire Now for the main event, the general sires' tables, and Snitzel has once again proven that his undoubted legacy is going to remain prominent for a few more years yet, taking first in the general sires' over last season's victor Zoustar (AUS) in what is his first champion sire success since 2020. The son of Redoute's Choice died in June 2025 of age-related problems but has landed his fifth champion sire title by more than AU$4 million, while also taking out his sixth champion 2-year-old sire crown. In what is a testament to his vast catalog of top racehorses, Snitzel's best performer stakeswise for the campaign has been Lady Shenandoah (AUS), who incredibly racked up AU$2,553,250 without actually winning a race. She ran placings in the Queen Of The Turf Stakes (G1), Canterbury Stakes (G1), Expressway Stakes (G2), Concorde Stakes (G3), and Russell Balding Stakes. To put that into perspective, Snitzel's nearest pursuer, Zoustar, had his top performer in star mare Joliestar (AUS)—who racked up just less than AU$2,000 short of AU$5 million for the season with victories in the T J Smith Stakes (G1), Canterbury Stakes, Expressway Stakes, and The Shorts (G2). Born in 2002 and retired to stud in 2006 following a career that saw him land the Oakleigh Plate (G1) and run second in the Newmarket Handicap (G1), Snitzel has outlasted all peers from his year of retirement. Snitzel will have his final yearlings sell at the boutique Magic Millions and Inglis yearling sales in 2027, and has produced another fine advert on how sought after they are going to be. New Zealand's champion sire is Proisir (AUS), with the hugely promising Rich Hill sire taking out his second title, again ahead of constant rival Savabeel. The son of Choisir's top performer has been 6-year-old mare Legarto, winner of both the Herbie Dyke Stakes (G1) and Boncrusher New Zealand Stakes (G1) in her final two outings this season. With the very recent passing of New Zealand great Savabeel, Proisir, who was retired in 2015, looks to have many a year ahead dining at the top of the champion sire's table.