For modestly priced stallions at the lower end of a power packed roster at a major farm it is never easy to break out and achieve ongoing commercial success – reports Breednet.com
Vinery Stud’s Myboycharlie (IRE) is a classic case of a stallion that has had his ups and downs in terms of popularity but with VRC Oaks winner Jameka and leading Magic Millions fancy Zelady’s Night Out currently running for him, he’s currently basking in success.
A Group I winning juvenile in France by ill-fated Danehill son Danetime, Myboycharlie comes from a family well known to Australian breeders as it has also produced Australian stakes-winners Snowland, Portillo and Snippetson.
Given those positives and a robust sprinter’s physique, breeders were happy enough to give Myboycharlie a chance and he duly covered 94 mares in his first season at Vinery at a fee of $14,300.
The second year he covered 111 mares at $11,000, but third season proved tricky with just 61 mares covered at a reduced fee of $8,800.
His first crop of yearlings met with approval in the sale ring and 46 averaged a tick over $50,000 selling for up to $170,000.
They broke in well earning early praise with the result Myboycharlie covered a whopping 196 mares in his fourth season, again at a fee of $8,800.
Despite that early flush of confidence and a good two year-old in Charlie Boy (subsequently a Group II winner) to fly his flag, Myboycharlie went on to sire just four two year-old winners as a first season sire finishing fifth on the Australian First Season Sires List (2012/2013) to Northern Meteor, Real Saga, Sebring and New Approach (IRE).
A fee increase to $16,500 in 2013 saw him cover 81 mares, less than half the number of the year before.
On the track, his second crop of two year-olds were warming up and among them a very good filly in Peggy Jean. She came out running in January 2014 to win the $250,000 Inglis Classic and then later added the Group I ATC Sires Produce Stakes to her resume.
Myboycharlie improved his standing to finish third on the Australian Second Season Sires List (2013/2014) behind the big guns Sebring and Northern Meteor.
The third and smallest crop of foals for Myboycharlie has given him Group II winner Blueberry Hill and his best horse to date in Jameka, who won the Group II VRC Sires Produce Stakes at two before racing to a memorable victory in the VRC Oaks.
In every crop of foals so far, Myboycharlie has produced a very good horse and Zelady’s Night Out, looks as though she will be the star from his fourth crop, although with some 152 youngsters in that grouping she won’t be Robinson Crusoe.
Myboycharlie covered 64 mares last year at a fee of $13,200 and stood this year for $11,000.
Yearling buyers are often attracted to the new and exciting rather that the tried and tested, so broodmare owners looking to please that market invariably move on to the next wave of up and coming young sires leaving a Myboycharlie out in the cold.
You won’t see that many of them at the sales this year, just three at Magic Millions and five at Inglis Classic, but among those youngsters you can be sure there will be a good one!
