Breeding a horse to race is an aim of many people. There is a lot of information to sift through and it can be difficult to see through the hype. Through years of study and consulting it is clear that there are certain rules that can help sway the odds in your favour.
Buying or breeding a racehorse can be an expensive exercise, with no guarantee of success. However a winner can be bred inexpensively. There are a number of keys to doing this but by far the most important is the dam. Choosing the correct broodmare is paramount to success.
With the right broodmare, you have the correct foundation to succeed. There is no need to go to an expensive stallion with a service fee over $100,000. The key here is finding a young stallion with the right pedigree before he has had major success and whilst he is at an affordable service fee. There is much talk of a stallion being able to upgrade an average mare but this can be an expensive exercise and still no guarantee of success. My philosophy here is that a broodmare can ‘upgrade’ an average stallion. In other words, with the correct broodmare you can achieve a good racehorse from an inexpensive stallion.
The philosophy of many people is to buy or breed a horse that is capable of winning a race. My philosophy is to breed for a Group 1 winner at an affordable price but be satisfied with winning a race. If you aim high and have the right program, you should at least win a race.
My breeding program is not complex. It does not involve inbreeding or line-breeding. Some experts are quick to point out that the success of many racehorses is due to line-breeding to Northern Dancer or some other successful stallion. However, what they fail to mention is the number of horses that are line-bred to Northern Dancer and fail to win a city race or a race at any track. Don’t believe the hype. You need statistics of the cross you are about to invest your hard earned money into. The breeding program I adhere to is in fact quite simple, but widely overlooked as it does not include over-hyped stallions. The type of breeding I adhere to has not produced many runners in Australia but produced 100% winners to runners and a high ratio of Group 1 winners to runners.
In summary it is possible to breed a good racehorse on a small budget. If you are looking at experiencing the satisfaction of breeding your own, I am available to advise you on the most suitable program. For any enquiries contact me by email.