Spirit Of Boom fee receives an increase as Encryption starts to make an impact
Queensland’s premier stallion Spirit Of Boom (Sequalo), the sire of two juvenile stakes winners already this season, has been rewarded for his consistency with a fee increase.
The Eureka Stud sire, whose yearlings have sold for up to $475,000 this year and averaged almost $140,000, will stand for $38,500 (inc GST), up from $33,000 in 2022, having been responsible for De Sonic Boom, Malaboom and Prince Of Boom, a previous stakes winner, all achieving black type this season while the talented Chinny Boom and Golden Boom also featured in Listed races in 2022-23.
Roster mate Encryption (Lonhro), the sire of two individual first crop winners including promising colt Cifrado this season, will remain at an unchanged fee of $13,200.
Eureka Stud’s Harry McAlpine said Spirit Of Boom has “cemented himself as a good proven option” for breeders.
“He throws precocious horses, they’re tough, they sell well and I don’t think there’s many stallions in that region in the market,” McAlpine told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“In going up in fee, we looked at what the other stallions going up to and Spirit Of Boom was full last year at $33,000, so we thought he was entitled to a fee increase on what he’s done and the market has recognised that with his average going up about 20 per cent this year and he averaged $240,000 at Magic Millions.
“They’re paying for them and rightly so.”
Since Spirit Of Boom’s first crop two-year-olds made a big impression on the racecourse in 2017-18, a large contingent of mares from interstate have been sent to the McAlpine family’s Darling Downs stud to be covered by Spirit Of Boom.
“Of his book of paying mares, the majority would actually be interstate mares, which we certainly appreciate, and we are actually going to alter his fee payment terms this year to be a no foal return,” McAlpine said.
“If breeders pay in May and if they don’t get a live foal, we’ll refund [the service fee] to help those interstate guys who are coming up and recognising the circumstances could change.”
McAlpine has also been delighted with the progress of Encryption, the Danehill Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) winning sprinter who has covered 120 mares or more in his first four seasons at stud.
The Rex Lipp-trained Cifrado, who came from last to finish third in Saturday’s Dalrello Stakes (Listed, 1000m) at Eagle Farm after a first-up five-length maiden win, is being set for the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m).
“Cifrado is a bit of a flagship horse for Encryption and he was an eye-catcher on Saturday, coming from last to third, and there’s very strong word on a lot of his other runners coming through,” McAlpine said.
“We should see some nice debuts in the coming months as they mature into late two-year-olds, early three-year-olds.
“He hasn’t had a lot of runners yet and they seem to be progressive horses who keep developing. They’ve shown enough, so I am looking forward to seeing what he does in the coming 12 months.”
Eureka Stud roster
2023 2022
Spirit Of Boom (Sequalo) $38,500 $33,000
Encryption (Lonhro) $13,200 unchanged