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66.
Switch in Time moves north
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17/05/2002 |
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Racing & Breeding News
Brian Russell Bloodstock Media Service
Switch In Time, long time equine king of north western NSW from his base at the Brian Marheine family's Stratheden Stud on the western outskirts of Tamworth, has been honoured by the NSW Thoroughbred Breeders Association for the third successive year.
The distinction came at a function at the William Inglis & Son Newmarket sales centre at Randwick on the Sunday evening of May 4 when the imported descendant of America's famous Native Dancer was named as the top North Western NSW sire for the achievement of his stock in the 2000-01 racing year. In that season he had winners of 151 races and $1,171,059, statistics which took his sire career figures to over 300 winners of 1400 races and $12.9millon.
Since he retired to stud at Stratheden in1987, Switch In Time has established a reputation as not only the most successful sire numerically to stand in NSW north of the Hunter Valley but as one of the most prolific sources of winners in the State's history. In the1996-97 racing year he had winners of a mammoth 220 races, the highest number of wins for one season by a NSW sire and a score surpassed by only one other sire in Australian history.
Despite his continued success at Stratheden, Switch In Time has been transferred this year to Ian Crompton's Westhaven Park Stud at Southbrook in Queensland's Darling Downs region. This means that the northern state is now home for the two sires which led the world numerically in 1997.
The other is Lyndhurst Stud's spectacular Celestial Dancer and he set what is believed to be a world record with 239 wins in the1995-96 season.He followed that amazing achievement up with 234 wins for 1996-97.
On each occasion Switch In Time was runnerup for the distinction of being leading Australian sire by winners and wins. Both sires, like Mr Prospector, are from the Native Dancer male line, one which has a phenomenal record for producing tough, sound winning gallopers.
Switch In Time's move to Queensland follows the decision by the Marheines to concentrate more on breeding by patronising leading sires at major studs elsewhere in the State. This policy has seen the Tamworth stud breed an Australian champion two and three-year-old, Assertive Lad, and top the 2002 yearling sales, achieving a national record filly price of $1.5million.
The other sire awards presented at the Breeders' function went to connections of Danehill (champion Australian sire), Strategic (champion first season sire), Mukaddamah (leading sire Hunter Valley west zone), Zoffany (leading sire Hunter Valley east zone), Rivotious (leading Central districts zone) and Air de France (southern zone).
The Breeders' Association also announced that Brian Russell had been named as the recipient of the John F Kelso Memorial Award, one which goes annually to someone who has proven their loyalty and love for the thoroughbred industry through dedication,integrity and hard work over the years.
Racing & Breeding News
Brian Russell Bloodstock Media Service
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