Top Victorian Stallion 7/08/09

Bel Esprit top of the Victorian list in stallion earning for 2008-09
Andrew Garvey
August 7, 2009
AFTER a frustrating run of placings, Encosta De Lago finally took out the general sires' title by earnings in 2007-2008 and had no trouble making it back-to-back wins in the season just completed.
In fact, there was little change at the top of the order from last year, although Redoute's Choice bounced back from an ordinary - by his standards - 10th the previous year to be second.
There were only three changes to the top 10 with Choisir, Testa Rossa and Red Ransom replacing Flying Spur, Hussonet and O'Reilly.
With his number of runners dwindling, Danehill continued his drop down the list, coming in 59th, but he had a win in the broodmare sires' list over Centaine.
While he won by about $600,000, Danehill's 203 individual winners was well ahead of Rory's Jester, whose daughters produced 160 individual winners.
Charge Forward was champion first-season sire by earnings, with another Arrowfield stallion, Not A Single Doubt, taking out the title by winners, drawing clear of Fastnet Rock with a winner on the penultimate day of the season.
In Victoria, Bel Esprit took out the John Ingleton Award for champion stallion, with Blue Gum Farm's Elvstroem following in some of his predecessors' footsteps in taking out champion first-season honours. Blue Gum Farm also took out the champion broodmare-sire title with Last Tycoon.
Champion Victorian broodmare was Swing Queen, dam of Thousand Guineas winner Gallica. Bob and Rosemary Scarborough, who bred Gallica, later sold Swing Queen at a Magic Millions sale for $75,000.
David and Jenny Moodie's Contract Racing was the leading Victorian breeder for the season with the award based on points allocated in group and listed races.
In New Zealand, O'Reilly held on to win over Zabeel in the Centaine Award, which is based on worldwide prizemoney earned by NZ-based stallions.