THERE is far more to Hussonet (USA), the Mr. Prospector son and Chilean supersire plucked from under the noses of South American breeders by Arrowfield Stud’s John Messara, than his first crop Australian Horse of year Weekend Hussler. This was demonstrated time and again in this part of the world in recent months. For instance, two of his offspring, the oldest bred out here being four year-olds, performed well up to Gr.1 level at 2009 Randwick autumn racing.
    They were Miss Darcey, winner of the Adrian Knox Stakes-Gr.3 and third in the Oaks-Gr.1, and Gold Trail, a first crop gelding who followed up a good fifth in the Challenge Stakes-Gr.2 with a third in The Galaxy-Gr.1. Between January 3 and February 7 Gold Trail won three successive Sydney races, including the Canterbury Classic-LR, and then finished second in the STC Expressway Stakes-Gr.2.
Another good autumn winner for Hussonet was New Zealand-based four year-old stallion Rios. A product of a Last Tycoon (IRE) mare, he was among the better Australasian three year-olds of 2007-08, winning three races, including the Wellington Guineas-Gr.2 and Auckland Great Northern Guineas Trial-LR, finishing second in the STC Tulloch Stakes-Gr.2 and third in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas-Gr,1.
    Rios, Weekend Hussler (his most successful Gr.1 performer here or in South America with seven wins at this level to his credit) and Gold Trail are among the 52 winners Hussonet has supplied from his first season at Arrowfield. In addition he already has at least 38 winners among his second crop three year-olds, including star filly Miss Darcey and 2008 MRC Blue Diamond Stakes-Gr.1 winner Reaan, and there are certain to be quite a few more. In recent months the Australian sired progeny of Hussonet have been successful in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, New Zealand and Singapore, and through to the end of April he was represented here for 2008-09 by 55 winners of $3m.
      Since he has shown that a great sire in South America can do well in Australia, the quality of his mares and the respect in the yearling market has lifted, in consequence it won’t be surprising if he has a stronger presence in major races in the future. He has been popular at Arrowfield and has covered more than 100 mares in each of his six seasons and already has more than 500 foals to his credit, including current yearlings and weanlings. His fee climbed from a debut season $24,750 to $137,500 in 2008 and, following the economic decline, is $71,500 for 2009.
      A smart performer at New York’s Aqueduct, but a non-stakes winner, Hussonet came to Australia from Chile with an awesome record as a sire. He has been the Champion Sire there seven times, Leading Juvenile Sire on five occasions and represented from his Chilean use by 23 Gr.1 winners, performers not only successful in the home country, but also in neighbouring Argentina and in the United States. As he has a pedigree free of Northern Dancer, and in consequence Danzig and Danehill, and is a proven superior sire, Hussonet could prove of tremendous value to Australian breeding in the future through his sons and daughters.
    He has already proved a good cross for Danehill with his stakes winners including Reaan (from a Danehill mare), Miss Darcey (Danzero), Gold Trail (Danewin) and Dirty (Danehill). Although his Australian products are only four, Hussonet (a son of three times Gr.1 winner Sacahuista by Raja Baba) has already become a major force here as the source of sires as astute Australian studmasters took the opportunity of acquiring his stock and putting them to stud in the 2008 season.
     They are Byblos (CHI) (Eagle Park Stud, Orange, NSW), Husson (ARG) (Patinack Farm Stud, Sandy Hollow, NSW) and Trotamondo (ARG) (Yarraman Park Stud, Scone).
    Byblos, covered an initial book of 100 mares, is a proven sire of winners from a small number of runners in South America who has a triple dose of Mr. Prospector’s sire Raise a Native being from a mare by the Nijinsky sire Worldwatch (a horse who hails from the same family as Halo and Danehill).  Raise a Native doubles up in the pedigree of Yarraman Park’s Trotamondo and his sire, American champion Native Dancer appears three times in five generations.
     Trotamondo was a Group winner in North and South America and an outstanding three year-old in Chile, winning three of their Gr.1 events, the Gran Criterium (1900m), Chile Guineas (1600m) and St Leger (2200m).  A winner in 11 starts of two Chile’s Gr.1 races (one by 8.5 lengths), second in another and their Champion Colt at two and three.
   Another son of Hussonet used in Australia last season was his fleet-footed first crop local performer Husson Lightning. Installed at the Heytesbury stud in Western Australia, this son of the Snippets mare
Snip Snip at two won the VRC Maribyrnong Plate-Gr.2 and STC Tooheys New Handicap and finished second in the STC Silver Slipper-Gr.2, AJC Skyline Stakes-Gr.3, Breeders’ Plate-LR and Gold Coast Magic Millions
 2YO Classic-RL.     The opportunity of Hussonet to quickly establish a flourishing sire dynasty has been also enhanced by the retirement to the Lindsay Park Stud at Angaston, South Australia this year of crack two year-old Reaan, winner of the Blue Diamond Stakes-Gr.1. A good advertisement for the Hussonet–Danehill cross, he is from the Danehill mare Ribe, a winner of the MVRC Moonee Valley Oaks-Gr.2 and fourth in the SAJC Australasian Oaks-Gr.1 and STC Arrowfield Stakes-Gr.1.

Permalink| Jun 24, 2009

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