b4breeding

Last season, a strange offer came in from Australia when the owner of Mr Feelgood, Kevin Seymour,  made a hugely generous gesture of a free service (except for working fee) to that sire for the first 100 NZ owners taking up the offer – for that season only.

Only 13 did. (Nevele R report about 13 mares served for about 10 positives, but the North Island agents had no mares served.)

That is not a reflection on the sire or the generosity of the offer, but more on the timing and the degree of competition – towards the end of the season, out of the blue, and as far as I could see with one advertisement only, in NZ Harnessed October edition. It had the air of a clearance sale about it, which I am sure was not the intent at all. Or was it?

As a Mr Feelgood supporter from way-back, it was a frustrating moment. The mares I had were already committed or not available. I can only hope the semen stays here and the offer might become available again and over a few years rather than as a one-off. Because I rate this sire, as my blog readers know. His performance and his pedigree is exceptional. He’s a Little Brown Jug winner and an Interdom Final and Hunter Cup winner. His maternal line is same as Western Ideal’s. He’s a very athletic type, throwing much more to his maternal line and Jate Lobell – and he is leaving winners from very small numbers.

With considerable help from my friend Richard Prior in Australia, here are some statistics and analysis of Mr Feelgood to date (well, a few weeks back, so there may be new results to add). If any of this clicks with your thinking as a breeder or with the mares you have, put him into your mix.

Is there a chance that those of us in NZ who like this sire could access the offer again. I’d hope so and I am following this up, will let you know if I find anything. He seems to be back at Goldrush Lodge in Queensland, and I am not sure why his previous stud at Yirribee was only offering frozen semen rather than chilled. Is the horse okay? Is his fertility okay? Is he going to be available this coming season? It’s all a bit of a mystery.

As for you lucky buggers across the ditch, I will follow your Mr Feelgood foals with interest (with help from Richard) and we will meet again same time next year to see how his 2yos have shaped up.

Mr Feelgood in the winners circle, 2006 Little Brown Jug
Photo: Bee Pears

Mr Feelgood – how is he going as a sire and what shows up in matches to date?

Oldest Australian progeny are 4yos – 17 registered foals.
3yos – only two registered foals, both earned over $70k to date. (Two more wins for A Good Chance, since Richard made the list below, so he’s now earned $87k).
Next two crops significantly bigger (76 and 84).

Total starters 13 for 11 winners. 7 of the 11 are fillies.

• 3 out of his top 4 are out of Perfect Art mares
• 4 out of the 11 are out of Fake Left mares and another is from Fake Left son Famous Forever
• 6 out of 11 are from Cam Fella line stallions.

His top 2 in Nth America are Feelsgood out of a Camluck mare  and I’m Feelin Good from a The Big Dog mare (526K and 1.49.6).

Australian offspring in order of earnings to date (as at end of March/early April 2015)

Charming Allie (Perfect Art) = 256k and 1.53.9
A Good Chance (Perfect Art) = 78k and 1.54.9
Feel The Faith (Fake Left) = 69k and 1.56.6
Good Feelings (Perfect Art) = 33k and 1.56.3
Millenium Rose (Famous Forever) = 31k and 2.00.1
Nurse Feelgood (Westburn Grant) = 29k and 1.58.3
Tactician (US) (Western Hanover) = 18k and 1.54.6
Fiscal Cliff (DM Dilinger) = 13k and 1.59.5
Feelin Good Lefty (Fake Left) = 9k and 1.59.2
Feelgood Tonight (Christian Cullen) = 8k and 2.00.8
Feels Like A Dream (Fake Left) = 5k and 1.59.6
A Little Naughty (Fake Left) = 1.54.6

Use the Search on my blogsite to find several other blogs I’ve done about Mr Feelgood including here and here.