The Year of the Outcross

Hussonet’s impact on the Australian racing scene has been immediate and unmistakeable. With his oldest progeny just 3 year olds of the current season, Hussonet is already the sire of multiple Group 1 winner Weekend Hussler and G1 Blue Diamond winner Reann plus Group 2 winner and Group 1 placegetter Rios and the black type performers Husson Lightning, Huiskes, Brazen Hussey, My Sweet Cookie, Atomic Huss, Husonic etc. Arguably, the 7-time Champion Sire of Chile is the most dominant sire-son of Mr Prospector at stud. When we purchased him to stand in Australia our plan was to provide our clients with the ideal outcross to Northern Dancer – the other most important sire line of the past quarter century.

It’s always reassuring to see a strategy come to fruition and it is even more pleasing to see the dividends it has paid to a number of our clients who have supported the stallion since his arrival 5 years ago. At a breed level, Hussonet’s early success here confirms the important role he can play in the future of thoroughbred genetics in this part of the world.

This year we offer the first yearlings of our second outcross stallion - Charge Forward - who is also free of Northern Dancer blood and is therefore a potential match for all the Danehill line mares in Australia. The fastest colt in Golden Slipper history, Charge Forward is producing precocious types who have been well received by breeders and buyers alike.

We speak of Mr Prospector. What of Danzig? The importance of the Northern Dancer line in this country has been well acknowledged by the media and by the deeds of his sons at stud whose progeny’s names fill our Group 1 records. We are privileged to stand some of his finest descendants at Arrowfield and the performance of Australia’s 2007 Champion Sire and Champion 2YO Sire, Flying Spur, Australia’s 2006 Champion Sire Redoute’s Choice, and 2004 Champion 2YO Sire, Danzero, cannot go unstated in any discussion of the role of Danehill in this part of the world.

Arrowfield maintains its longstanding policy of standing stallions which we believe will work right here in Australia. We support each of our stallions with our own mares and also buy a number of their progeny at the yearling sales which we race ourselves, generally in partnership – placed with external trainers and also in our training centre at Arrowfield managed by Paul Messara. Breeders can therefore remain confident that our stallions are given every chance to succeed. We also continue to maintain our longstanding and disciplined approach as to the quality of mares accepted into our stallion books.

We invite you, our friends and clients, to join us at Arrowfield in breeding better horses and in breeding for profit. Our team remains at your disposal to assist you in any way we can.

John Messara, Managing Director