Pins Rated NZ’s Best for Global Earnings

Waikato Stud’s 9-time G1 producer Pins has been awarded New Zealand’s best sire for global earnings, following the completion of the 2010/11 season.

The Centaine Award – as it is known, honours the New Zealand-based stallion with the highest earnings worldwide within the Southern Hemisphere racing season.

To this end, with over NZ$11 million in progeny earnings, Pins established a comfortable buffer over his rivals, with boom stallion High Chaparral figuring next best in second, $558,937 away.

The result also stacks up competitively against his Australian counterparts.

During 2010/11, the Australian-based sire Encosta de Lago rated number one for global earnings with A$11,701,005, followed next by Redoute’s Choice ($10,730,956), Lonhro ($10,045,392), More Than Ready ($9,004,504) and Fastnet Rock ($8,519,100).

Knowing all too well the importance of international performance, Waikato Stud’s Chittick family were duly thrilled with the result.

“The Centaine Award is now New Zealand’s most significant sire award, as it truly records the endeavours of the NZ-based stallion on the world stage,” said Garry Chittick.

“New Zealand could not survive without its horses’ success in Australasia, Asia and the US.

“For Pins to have achieved over $11million in global earnings is a very clear sign of the important contribution that these markets play and to his own ability to produce world-class racehorses.”

Perhaps no finer example of this during 2010/ 11 was the sire’s triple G1 winning Hong Kong Horse of the Year, Ambitious Dragon.

Adding further lustre to his crown as Hong Kong’s Champion Sire and as the Centaine Award winner, Pins achieved further distinction last term as being New Zealand’s number one sire of individual stakes winners, with a total of 10 being counted here.

“This in itself is very significant. Ordinarily, if a stallion does three or four in a season, they are doing very well,” said Garry.

Pins 10 stakes heroes for 2010/2011 comprised of the Hong Kong star Ambitious Dragon; the US G2 winner Our Nautique; the Australian standouts Legsman, Lucha Libra and Almodovar; and the home-based black-type brigade Icepin, Katie Lee, Undisclosed, Bespoke and Antonio Lombardo – New Zealand’s leading 2YO colt.

All up, Pins – who stands for $40,000, counts 41 stakes winners to his credit and lays claims an exceptional winners-to-runners ratio of 67.2%.

-Statistics supplied by Arion Pedigrees.