Here is a trivia question that would catch out most industry participants.
Who is the leading Second Crop Sire in Australia by Strike Rate?
Against a high-quality crop of young sires featuring Wootton Bassett, Farnan, Ole Kirk, Bivouac, Ghaiyyath, Lucky Vega, etc, it’s the sire ADMIRE MARS who has flown under the radar to ambush his peers.
ADMIRE MARS - Sire
Arrowfield Stud’s shuttle sire from Japan, ADMIRE MARS oldest are just 3yo’s and he has had a marvellous run over the past few weeks, which continued on Tuesday with Giapponese recording his eight (8th) individual winner from just 19 individual runners, to hit the lead for Winners:Runners Strike Rate percentage on the Australian Second Crop Sires Premiership Table.
Giapponese joins recent winners Awesome Force, Mars Landing, Admire Me, Admire Ace, My Inspiration, Planet Red, Admire Astra and four (4) placegetters: Blazing Future, Highstrung Mykindakandy and She Has Spirit.
The champion 2yo and champion 3yo in Japan, ADMIRE MARS was a super miler, and his progeny always looked likely types with excellent bone, muscle culture and were on the whole, a very attractive crop of yearlings.
He has hit the ground running in Japan where he has sired 2 stakes winners including a Gr1 Winner and is making waves in Australia against a quality crop of peers.
Whilst Ghaiyyath leads the way by Earnings, with over $2.8m ahead of Ole Kirk, Wootton Bassett and Bivouac, its Admire Mars who leads the way on the one that racehorse owners want to follow closely – Winners to Runners.
Admire Mars has a Strike Rate of 42.1% with 8 Winners from 19 Starters.
Admire Mars 8/19 @ 42.1%
Ghaiyyath 11/29 @ 37.9%
Doubtland 11/31 @ 35.5%
King’s Legacy 15/48 @ 31.3%
Prince Fawaz 4/13 @ 30.8%
Ole Kirk 15/49 @ 30.6%
Bivouac 12/44 @ 27.3%
Dirty Work 6/22 @ 27.3%
Tagaloa 13/49 @ 26.5%
Earthlight 5/19 @ 26.3%
Lucky Vega 6/24 @ 25%
Graff 5/20 @ 25%
Admire Mars shuttled from Shadai Stallion Station to Arrowfield for four seasons, 2021-2024, siring a likely total of around 250 foals.
Planet Red
His first 19 runners in Australia include $600,000 earner Planet Red (from a mare by Exceed and Excel’s son Helmet), he was the fast-finishing runner-up to Autumn Boy in the Caulfield Guineas G1 on 11 October, and 3rd in the Guineas Prelude Gr3 for Mick Price & Michael Kent Jr.
Admire Mars’ 2025 fee at Shadai Stallion Station in Japan was ¥5 million (A$50,000) after he recorded three multiple JRA 2YO winners in 2024. They included Embroidery, who made a big impression on debut, setting a 2YO course record time of 1:45.5 for 1800 metres on turf at Niigata and is now a Gr1 Winner.
Admire Mars’ third-crop Australian yearlings will be offered for sale in 2026.
MARS ATTACKS
Dynamic Syndications purchased a coly by Admire Mars ex Banksia at the Magic Millions in 2025. He is now named MARS ATTACKS and has continued to please our team through early education.