Huntsville is rapidly cementing his place as Australia’s current leading two-year-old sire with his outstanding juvenile crop continuing to dominate on tracks across the country.
Standing at Cobbitty Equine Farm after returning to the Australian market back in 2022, Huntsville’s first Cobbitty-bred crop has made an immediate and exciting impact with his juveniles continuing to deliver outstanding results early in the season.
A stallion that may have flown under the radar for the past few seasons here down under, Huntsville is now emerging as one of the most exciting and influential young sires in Australian Harness Racing. His rise comes as no surprise to the team at Cobbitty Equine Farm who always believed the son of Somebeachsomewhere had the credentials to become a major force after bringing him back to the Australian market back in 2022.
After originally standing in Australia for just one season earlier in his stud career, Huntsville announced himself immediately when crowned Australia’s Leading First Crop Sire in 2022. Like many young stallions who spend time away from the local market it has taken patience to reach the point where more of his progeny are now hitting the track in stronger numbers.
To date Huntsville has produced twelve individual two-year-old winners this season with his juveniles already banking $324,986 in earnings. It has been an outstanding result for a young sire still in the early stages of his Australian stud career.
Leading the charge have been two elite juvenile performers who have both scored Group 1 victories:
• JACKWILL KID - winner of the Group 1 Bathurst Gold Crown
• BIRDSONG - winner of the Group 1 Bathurst Gold Tiara
The pair have headlined a remarkable season for Huntsville’s youngsters, showcasing the speed toughness and professionalism that are quickly becoming hallmarks of his progeny, in both colts and fillies.
Already recognised as one of North America’s leading juvenile sires, Huntsville has continued that reputation locally proving he can consistently leave precocious early-running stock capable of competing at the highest level. With numerous sons of Huntsville now standing at stud in North America, his influence within the Somebeachsomewhere sire line continues to grow both on the racetrack and in the breeding barn.
Importantly his success has not been limited to one particular pedigree cross.
Jackwill Kid is out of a Bettors Delight mare while Birdsong is from an Art Major mare and remarkably Huntsville’s eleven two-year-old winners this season have come from nine different broodmare sire lines. That statistic highlights the versatility Huntsville is showing at stud and reinforces the confidence breeders have in his ability to leave quality horses from a wide range of mares.
The results being produced this season have been incredibly rewarding for everyone involved and Cobbitty Equine Farm would also like to acknowledge and thank the breeders who continued to support and back Huntsville over the past few seasons with that support now being rewarded in a major way.
What makes his current success even more remarkable is that Huntsville has had only two racing crops in Australia - one now six-year-olds and the current crop of juveniles.
Yet despite those limited numbers his overall statistics are exceptional:
• 119 individual starters
• 98 individual winners with an outstanding 82.3% winners-to-starters strike rate
• $6,375,311 in total earnings
• Average earnings per starter of $53,574
Huntsville also serviced New Zealand breeders for the first time last season and will again be available to the New Zealand market this season as demand for the exciting young sire continues to grow on both sides of the Tasman.
With bookings for the upcoming breeding season already filling incredibly quickly, Huntsville’s popularity continues to soar as breeders look to secure access to one of the hottest young sires in the country.
There is little doubt Huntsville’s current juvenile crop is only the beginning of what promises to be an exciting future for the stallion in Australia. With the season still unfolding, his youngsters continuing to improve with racing and more yet to debut, there is genuine excitement around what the remainder of the season may hold not only for his current crop of two-year-olds but also for the crops still to come.
Given the incredible start he has already made, Huntsville appears poised to remain a major force in Australian harness breeding for many years ahead.
