Royal Academy

J.D. · Postby **J.D.** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 9:33 pm

What seems to be the knock on Royal Academy as a sire? I can't help but think that he is an extremely versatile sire with a track record of producing exceptional progeny and at $17,500 for 2005, seems to be an excellent value.

What am I missing here?

J.D.

st. louis kid · Postby **st. louis kid** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 10:41 pm

Most of his progeny run on the turf, so he has to overcome this bias in the U.S. Ashford breeds lots and lots of mares to him, thus diluting his value a bit i believe. You can get a heck of a racehorse from him though.

KAL · Postby **KAL** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 12:40 am

Royal Academy is a really nice stallion and probably deserving of more respect, however the turf bias is evident in the sales of his foals, and the number of mares sent to him. I don't believe he has been bred to over 100 mares for a couple years... and for Ashford, that is a low number.

st. louis kid · Postby **st. louis kid** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 1:29 am

He was bred to 90 mares this spring, his foal crop average is 124 over his breeding career.

Flight · Postby **Flight** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 3:28 pm

Royal Academy has been an ultra consistent sire in Australia.

Mind you he did get banished to South America for a couple of seasons until his son, Bel Espirit, burst onto the scene as a very, very two and three year old. Now he's back.

He has sired at least 101 stakes winners during his career. Not bad at all!

We have a Royal Academy mare (who is due to foal any minute!!!!) and even though she didn't want to be a race horse, I think she will go very well as a broodie.