BUSHRANGER – THIS BOY IS A STEAL

“Spring is the time of plans and projects” – Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

It’s definitely the season for projecting the hopes of breeders and owners as they yearn for successful covers, straight legged foals and fast racehorses.

Bushranger disciples are among that mix … and, insofar as the first two plans are concerned, high fertility and cracking youngsters have filled the bill.

Now for the big test – the first Australian bred youngsters turned two on 1 August and we can expect to see the first of them make appearances over the next few months.

And while reports from stables are encouraging, that’s all they are at this early stage … projections.

But we can at least get an inkling due to the wonders of the shuttle system.

In Europe, where Bushranger proved to be hugely popular in both the breeding and sales sheds, his initial crop are off to an outstanding start – 15 individual winners thus far and only one shy of the lead on the British First Season Sires’ chart.

Fellow Danetime stallion and first cropper, Myboycharlie, has likewise made an impact with his recent French stakes winner, Salai.

And the Danehill lineage is not the only similarity … both Bushranger and Myboycharlie won the prestigious juvenile Group One – the Prix Morny – and both were crowned Champion 2YOs of France in their respective years.

Bushranger, however, won the Morny in race record time and also went on to eclipse the Group One Middle Park Stakes in track record time at Newmarket and add the Champion 2YO of England title to his belt.

And while comparisons might be odorous (or in this case, onerous), Myboycharlie has followed up European form with a healthy launch to his Australian career (unlike Bushranger, he served his first book of mares in Australia before shuttling back to Europe and his oldest Oz progeny are now 3YOs).

Just recently, Myboycharlie’s Charlie Boy wowed them in the Group Two Danehill Stakes which is a nice touch for the broodmare owners who sent 196 mares last spring.

This year Myboycharlie stands in Australia at a fee of $16,500 – Bushranger at Eliza Park International for just $8,800 … now there’s a plan!