Champion Sire Enjoys Record Breaking Season

THEY say records are made to be broken and it's something Fernando Bale is making an artform of, his pups earning a record $20 million in 2020.

THEY say records are made to be broken.

And when it comes to champion greyhound Fernando Bale he's made an artform of doing just that – breaking records – both on and off the track.

This time the eight-time group 1 winner has boasted a record breaking season as a sire with his progeny bursting through $20 million in prize money earnings for 2020.

With six weeks still to go in the year, Fernando Bale's prized stock have won a remarkable $20.4 million in stakes, eclipsing the previous record benchmark of $17.2 million set by Barcia Bale in 2019.

"The year he's had is absolutely mind-blowing – we couldn't be prouder," said studmaster Paul Westerveld.

"I've been around the game a long time and I've never seen a sire churn out such a high ratio of city and group race winners. You look at his results in the big races – they are just phenomenal."

Considering 2020 has been hit by COVID-19 related prize money reductions and feature race cancellations, Fernando Bale's startling record breaking results are nothing short of profound.

Standing at $6,600, Fernando Bale has so far laid claim to eight group 1 winners during 2020 along with another five group 2's, 11 group 3's and 14 listed events.

"We looked at some numbers the other day and since his pups began racing a few years back he's had something like 35 group 1 winners and 107 group wins overall – it's just amazing," Westerveld said.

"And what's pleasing about this result is that a large chunk of the prize money his offspring have won is in the big races and on city tracks.

"At the end of the day that's what people breed for – to get that level of greyhound which can be competitive at that level.

"And he's producing them. Time and time again."

Boasting a winning strike-rate of 20 per cent, Fernando Bale's progeny are on the cusp of eclipsing $50 million in earnings since hitting the tracks midway through 2017.

In Friday night's Group 1 TAB Melbourne Cup, Fernando Bale is represented by WA star Tommy Shelby and big odds heat winner Tough Tears.

A win by one of the two would hand Fernando Bale three straight Melbourne Cups as a sire following Whiskey Riot's gripping victory in the race last year and My Redeemer's heroic win before that.


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