Mapperley Stud has announced their stallion service fees for the 2024 season with their proven son of High Chaparral – Contributer spearheading their roster at a fee of $18,000 +GST.
Adding further firepower to their lineup is exciting young sire Armory, a son of leading international sire Galileo, who stands at an unchanged fee of $10,000 +GST this season.
Contributer has had a brilliant season on the racetrack siring 5 individual stakes across Australasia, highlighted by Campionessa (NZ), a winner of 5 stakes races this season with her Group One triumph coming in the Zabeel Classic on Boxing Day.
“Campionessa has been a wonderful mare for Contributer and Mapperley,” Stud Master Simms Davison said. “She’s now a winner of 11 races and it is great to see her rewarded with a Group One win this preparation.
“She’s going great over in Australia winning a Group Two this prep and we now look forward to her next start in the Group One mares race at Randwick.”
Group One winner Lion’s Roar (NZ), from the first crop of Contributer, and promising three-year-old Snow Patrol (NZ) join Campionessa as the stallion’s Australian Group winners this season, with this feat made even more impressive with only 41 runners to the track in Australia.
“He’s quickly building a very good reputation as a sire,” Davison added. “His offspring have proven to have natural ability and are tough, sound racehorses. He’s performing at 70% winners to runners in Australia, which is right up there with the elite stallions.”
“Statistically, Contributer is performing better than the elite sons of High Chaparral such as So You Think, Dundeel and Toronado. This should give New Zealand breeders massive incentive to support him this season, especially at his competitive fee.”
The performances of Contributer’s offspring haven’t gone unnoticed by buyers with his yearlings averaging $149,000 in the Book 1 sale at Karaka 2024, an increase from $135,000 the year prior.
“We were thrilled to see the market gravitate to the Contributer’s at the yearling sales, he had some lovely types up there and they have all gone to the top stables which is really encouraging,” Davison said.
“He keeps selling well at the yearling sales which indicates the buyers like them, so breeders should have full confidence breeding to him as a proven stallion at what we believe is a value fee.”
“I have had word from a number of top Australian trainers that they have one in their stable that they really like. Add this to the fact that he’s got his best books in terms of numbers and quality coming through over the next couple of years, I think he has the ability to go onto new heights.”
Armory has continued to be a popular choice among breeders in New Zealand covering another impressive book of mares in his second season at stud. The champion son of Galileo has covered 246 mares in his first two years at stud with breeders enthused about the quality of his first crop of foals.
“We have been absolutely rapt with the quality of the Armory foals,” Davison said. “We have some cracking sorts on the farm, big strong athletic types with great shoulders and powerful hindquarters. He’s very much stamped them like himself.”
“We are really excited about his prospects as a sire, they look as though they will be strong enough to show something at two and train on to be even better older horses just like he did.”
“Our excitement has already shifted to presenting these Armorys to the market for sale, I think they will be very well received by buyers.”
Profondo, who stands at Windsor Park Stud, also bolsters Mapperley Stud’s stallion ranks with the Group One winning son of Deep Impact covering a full book of mares in his debut season.
“Profondo was a massive hit with breeders last season,” Davison said. “He was full within hours of us releasing his fee, which gave us a great vote of confidence that we selected the right stallion for the New Zealand market.”
“He ticks every box – he has rock star looks, is a Group One winner in Australia, and is by the global sire sensation Deep Impact. He’s going to be given every opportunity to be successful at stud.”
“The traction on him has rolled into his second season as well, he’s approaching a full book for the upcoming season which is fantastic and a big mark of approval for him.
Savile Row will also stand at Mapperley Stud in the 2024 season and offers breeders an affordable option to access the fantastic Dubawi sire line at a fee of $2,500 +GST.
