No Nay Never
No Nay Never starts with a number of the new stallions whose progeny are making their debut at the MM yearling sales of 2020, During my trip to Ireland in 2016, most of the people in the industry considered him to be the most promising horse entering the breeding barn that year. His record to date says they were on the right track. His stud fee has risen from an initial E25k, to E100k and is reportedly going to be E200k next season. This is more than promising, it mirrors results.
What has he achieved to date? Firstly he was a pretty good racehorse with wins in England, America and France in only 6 starts. In 2018 he was the leading first season sire in Great Britain /Ireland and had a G1 winner (Ten Sovereigns) included in his first crop of 18SW.
Is Australia the right place for him?
How successful might he be in Australia? Ten Sovereigns is out of an Exceed and Excel mare which should send a few green lights flashing. In fact of the 18SW, Danzig line stallions as the broodmare sire account for seven. Australia is not short of Danzig line broodmares through Danehill and all his sons.
Along the No Nay Never sire line all stallions back to Northern Dancer himself cross well with Danzig line mares. No Nay Never could do great things in Australia. The abundance of mare talent available from Danehill/Danzig lines is a positive. Our fixation of getting a quick return breeding sprinters another. Of the 17 Yearlings on offer, ten are from Danehill line mares and there should be good demand for them. Whether they will pay back their sale price is another question, but most should at least win a race or two.
Passed in at $25,000
A final word on the Sale
If you see a horse like the one in the photograph, stop and take a second look. The colt was passed in at $US25,000. The few people that viewed him commented that he was too small. He went on to have a racetrack record of 18 starts, 14 wins, 2 seconds and 2 thirds. His four G1 successes included the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. Northern Dancer went on to become the greatest sire of the 20th Century. There will be bargains at the Sale-the problem is they are not always obvious.