How The Melbourne Cup Launches Stud Greatness

A cool half a million dollars and a Gold cup await connections of the Group 1 Melbourne Cup winner, but the spoils don’t end on Cup night.

A cool half a million dollars and a Gold cup await connections of the Melbourne Cup winner, but the spoils don't end on Cup night.

Winning the event dubbed the ‘world's greatest greyhound race' is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for owners, trainers and breeders alike.

But as satisfying as that success is for all involved, for the winning greyhound their impact on the sport is just the beginning. 

The Melbourne Cup has been one of the sport's premier events since it was first run just weeks after the opening of Sandown Park.

From the time Rocketeer claimed the 500 pound bounty in that inaugural running in 1956, Melbourne Cup winners have received multiple accolades as well as leaving an indelible mark on the breeding scene. 

Ten Cup winners have received the Victorian Greyhound of the Year title since the award was introduced in 1973, while five winners (and another four Cup finalists) have claimed Australian Greyhound of the Year honours since the national gong was first awarded in 2002. Seven winners sit in a Hall of Fame.

All of which makes for an impressive resume for potential breeders. In fact, some of the sport's most influential sires appear on the Cup honour roll, a feature which has become more prevalent over time.

The race has been dominated by male greyhounds with 27 dogs winning over the last 30 years. Among them are sires that have gone on to shape the greyhound breed both in Australia and around the world, including Light Of Fire, Go Wild Teddy and Bombastic Shiraz. 

But it's since 2010 that winning a Cup has become an instant stud platform.

The average service fee for a Melbourne Cup winner – if you can get them – is north of $2500, and six of the top 25 sires of 2021 (ranked by prize money) feature on the Melbourne Cup honour roll.

Two of the hottest stud prospects in the country – Aston Dee Bee and My Redeemer – won the Cup in 2017 and 2018 respectively, and the last two Cup champions have already proved popular with breeders with both Whiskey Riot (2019) and Hard Style Rico (2020) having close to 50 litters on the ground.

And who could forget Dyna Double One's epic Melbourne Cup victory over Fernando Bale in 2015?

Dyna Double One has gone on to forge a very successful career at stud while 2016 winner Ando's Mac is starting to now get the recognition he deserves from breeders after enjoying some sensational early numbers.

The honour roll is littered with stud stars. Another two that readily spring to mind, 2010 winner El Grand Senor and 2013 victor Black Magic Opal.

A successful stud career after winning a Melbourne Cup may as close to as good a thing as there is in racing. 

 

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