The New Zealand Sires’ Stakes crowns series champions every year. Equine and human stars who keep circling back to the future. Are there hoofprints leading the way at the yearling sales again this February?
A read, or scroll these days, through the yearling sales catalogue over the holidays with the Sires’ Stakes lenses fitted, sparked a curiosity in the immediate progeny of former series champions and their chances of impacting sales week and, more importantly, beyond the ring!
This year, some youngsters coming into view trace back to champion New Zealand Standardbred breeder Brian West, whose Studholme Bloodstock brand remains a reliable barometer of the yearling market each season.
Among the most obvious Sires’ Stakes filtered talking points are the sons and daughters of the Studholme bred, decorated racehorse — and now stallion prospect — Lazarus.
The dual New Zealand Cup champion and Sires' Stakes Series star is finally gaining some momentum as a sire in the Southern Hemisphere. His early years here were hampered by fertility issues linked to a difficult return trip home when he first began stud duties. Ironically, none of that troubled him during his shuttles back to North America. He served full, high‑quality books of well‑credentialled mares there and is firing on all cylinders from his home base these days, Wai Eyre Farm in North Canterbury, New Zealand.
Some of his better northern hemisphere performers are colts and fillies from mares by Somebeachsomewhere, American Ideal, Rock N Roll Hanover, Art Major, and other elite broodmare sires — profiles that in theory fitted his pedigree beautifully.
His headline act to date is the American millionaire Voukefalas, predictably not from one of those ‘profile’ crosses, whose résumé stretches from classic two‑year‑old victories (New Jersey Sires' Stakes) to Free‑For‑All success in races like The Graduate at the Meadowlands, and plenty in between.
In Australasia, his standout performer is most likely the Group One NSW Breeders Challenge winner Nathan Street. Closer to home, from his small and limited New Zealand crops, he has notably produced the talented Jeramiah and the classy The Lazarus Effect (pictured below)— the latter shaping as his best backyard billboard yet.
Brian West and his friend, pharmacist, Gavin Chin (who’d fanatically, almost secretly, bought the mother Bethany from an on-line sale), famously sold Lazarus at the 2014 yearling sales for $70 000. They then watched the dynamic black colt they’d bred sweep almost every age‑group feature across Australasia before conquering both hemispheres. That dominance led to a major syndication deal and stud career that began in New Jersey.
Interest in Lazarus’s siblings was immediately immense.
Valiant attempts to replicate the phenomenal early outcome are on going as is often the case when champions are made.
Twelve years later, Lazarus has seven yearlings in the 2026 NZB Standardbred catalogue, including one in West’s own Christchurch draft — a filly (Lot 223) descending from a celebrated family whose second dam is the former Studholme stakes winning show pony, Lancome.
But the lot likely to draw much of the attention around West’s draft is the first living foal from his champion two‑ and three‑year‑old pacing filly True Fantasy.
Captain Fantasy (Lot 194) presents as an athletic but cool customer — the sort of colt who visually ticks every “classic prospect” box, aesthetically at least. Unsurprisingly, West has high hopes for him both in the ring and on the track.
“He’s a cracking type for a first live foal, isn’t he? I've found sometimes the first couple are just a practice run before a mare hits her stride, but this colt is bucking that trend,” West says.
“True Fantasy was fast, but not overly big or robust. Captaintreacherous has added some hoped-for strength and presence — and of course, he can sire one, can’t he?”
True Fantasy lost her first foal, making Captain Fantasy a welcome second result. She’s now safely in foal to Art Major having missed to him last spring. It’s a lifelong lifestyle project for Brian West still thriving at his picturesque Coes Ford property southeast of Christchurch, one carefully planned mating at a time.
Wide eyes can easily see the siblings of the past Sires’ Stakes stars listed, each challenged with eventually stepping from of the shadow of their decorated closest relative.
For Millwood Nike’s brother (Lot 213) stacking together a short picket fence of wins would be judged a success given the seventeen straight his big sis’ managed is likely unreachable?
Meant To Be was just meant to be Sires' Stakes trot champion, twice, but given the depth of his pedigree page we might see some more from his full bro (Lot 127)?
Thankfully history overall shows the big bucks don’t absolutely translate to big results and statistically the next best thing is just as likely to be a low to middle priced horse who lands in a prospector’s lap having been passed over by the pedigree professors.
The bidders and buyers always have their say, but all the youngsters stepping into the ring bring with them hopeful expectations they can write their own chapters, and a Sires' Stakes black type highlight in the pedigree page can only help with that.
So yes, there is hope for say, a daughter of a multiple Sires' Stakes and Internationally performed Group 1 winning stallion commanding just a thousand dollar service fee these days, from a family tracing to a two- and three-year-old trotting filly of her year.
You’ve just got to stay wide open to the idea they can still appear from anywhere even in this day and age, although it’s getting harder to spot them.
Pay her up for the Sires' Stakes races and let/hope the dream burst/s into reality.
Insert fingers crossed emoji here.
