Ashford Stud has cut the covering fees for all bar one of its resident stallions for the 2010 northern season.
Tale of the Cat will remain at US$30,000 for 2010 while G1 Criterium International winner Thewayyouare will enter his first year for a $10,000 fee at Coolmore’s stallion base in Kentucky.
“Following a tough year for breeders in 2009, we are offering unprecedented value for 2010,” said Dermot Ryan, Ashford Stud manager. “With the one exception of Tale of the Cat, whose fee has remained unchanged, all our fees have been reduced including that of America’s best sire Giant’s Causeway. We are delighted with the response to our new sire Thewayyouare, who was one of the best juveniles Kingmambo ever sired.”
Not even a No. 1 ranking on this year’s leading sires list could keep Giant’s Causeway’s fee from going down for 2010. The son of Storm Cat, whose representatives this year have included English 1000 Guineas winner Ghanaati and Breeders’ Cup Marathon winner Man Of Iron, stood for $125,000 in 2009 but will stand for $100,000 in 2010.
Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus has had his fee halved from $30,000 this year to $15,000 in 2010. Henrythenavigator, who began his stallion career at Ashford Stud this year, has had his fee cut from $65,000 to $40,000.
Coolmore also reduced the fees for many of the stallions on its European roster earlier this month. News that the US branch of the operation is cutting its fees comes after the most important North American yearling sale, Keeneland September, posted steep declines in receipts for the second year in a row.
Following are Ashford Stud’s 2009 fees (in brackets) and the 2010 fees:
Dehere ($15,000) $10,000
Fusaichi Pegasus ($30,000) $15,000
Giant’s Causeway ($125,000) $100,000
Grand Slam ($25,000) $17,500
Henrythenavigator ($65,000) $40,000
Lion Heart ($20,000) $12,500
Majestic Warrior ($20,000) $15,000
Scat Daddy ($22,500) $15,000
Thewayyouare $10,000
Tale of the Cat ($30,000) $30,000
Thunder Gulch ($15,000) $10,000
Van Nistelrooy ($15,000) $7,500