BOY...that was some race career, so now for the big time at stud!
That's the future of Group race champ Amron Boy (Zambora Brockie-Miami Fernando by Fernando Bale) who retires to stud after a race career that deserves the highest of praise. To say Amron Boy made the world sit up and take notice is an understatement to say the least. He raced 57 times for 23 wins, 14 seconds and five thirds for stakes of $674,000.
That prizemoney tally makes him No. 34 on the country's highest stakes earning list.
BUT, consider that eight of the top 12 are the winners of $1 million races and it puts his performances into perspective.
Amron Boy was a SUPERSTAR on the racetrack.
He ran a near record 29.45 when winning the G1 Silver Chief beating his litter brother Amron Dan at The Meadows, and he led throughout to win the G1 Harrison Dawson and then won the G3 Sandown Showdown.
But, he also proved himself right throughout his career.
He was also 2nd in The Phoenix, the G1 Temlee, the G2 Flying Amy Classic, G3 Sandown Showdown, 3rd in the Australian Cup Consolation, and a finalist in the G1 Maturity, G1 Topgun, G1 Paws Of Thunder, G1 Brisbane Cup, G1 Nat Sprint, G2 Cranbourne Cup.
That's 12 Group finals, and The Phoenix ... eight of them Group 1.
And, Amron Boy proved he could run scintillating race winning times.
Remember, he won the Silver Chief at The Meadows in 29.45 (Allen Deed holds the record at 29.37), was a winner at Sandown in a scorching 29.00, 29.07 (twice) and 29.10, and went 29.55 at Albion Park.
One of those 29.07 times was at his second race start.
Add to that, he ran 25.17 at Warrnambool and 29.85 at Wentworth Park.
His litter brother, Amron Dan (15 wins, $160,000), chased "The Boy" home in the Silver Chief and was a finalist in the G2 Geelong Cup. Litter sister, Darryl's Girl, was second in the Regional Origin Challenge at Albion Park.
No one knows his worth more than Jamie Ennis who, with wife Brooke, trained the dog to those lofty heights and stands him at stud.
Jamie and Brooke trained and stood superstar My Bro Fabio so they know only too well what is required to make it in both careers.
"Amron Boy was bombproof as a race dog," said Jamie. "He has a perfect temperament, very sensible. It did not matter if he was in race one or race 10, he never once did a thing wrong in the kennels at home or at the track.
"He was a head away from winning both The Phoenix and the Temlee. And, anyone who watches a replay of The Phoenix knows he should have won it."
Jamie will not compare My Bro Fabio and Amron Boy only to say they were totally different types of dogs.
"Fabio was big and leggy," he said. "Amron Boy is more compact, in the mould of Zambora Brockie and that suits city racing. He was the perfect size (31.5kgs)."
It is the pedigree of Amron Boy that excites so very, very much.
He is by multiple Group winner and top sire Zambora Brockie (sire of the winners of $19 million) and his dam Miami Fernando is bred on the Fernando Bale/Kinloch Brae cross found in champion Sennachie.
He also carries Premier Fantasy and Spiral Nikita in his damline and Amron Boy is from the famed female line of Ullid Citrate the dam of Irish champion Late Late Show.
Amron Boy's dam, Miami Fernando, was a multiple winner and from a litter of eight all of them winners.
The second dam, Sacramento Sal, won 18 races and $85,000 and became a fine producer of such classy gallopers as Love Heart (16 wins, $48,000), Mod Squad (10 wins, $34,000, finalist G3 SA Derby), Diego Fernando (9 wins, $32,000), Bus Driver (13 wins, $32,000), Awake Until Dawn (10 wins, $29,000), Devil's Daughter (12 wins, $28,000) etc.
Every one of her progeny has been a winner.
This is the direct damline of the famous Late Late Show the champion Irish track star who did well from limited matings in Australia. He is damsire of G1 stars like Unlawful Entry and Outside Pass.
While his racetrack performances and immediate damline is superb, it is the pedigree of Amron Boy that enthuses above all else for his future at stud. The fact he has Fernando Bale as his damsire is as big a plus as anything else in his pedigree.
That allows him to mate all those broodbitch lines that have worked so very, very well with Fernando Bale (the sire of the winners of $152 million).
Amron Boy is absolutely perfect for daughters of Barcia Bale, Fabregas and those with Collision just to name three of the best.
All three have worked to spectacularly high status when combined with Fernando Bale.
And, remember that Barcia Bale too has done exceptionally well when linked to both Kinloch Brae (Federal Morgan, Manila Knight) and Premier Fantasy (Mepunga Blazer, Orchestrate).
The Fernando Bale/Fabregas "nick" is one of the very best seen in this country in recent times.
The "Ennis factor" should also be critical for those breeders wanting to use Amron Boy at stud. That means bitches by My Bro Fabio are others perfectly matched to Amron Boy.
That's because of the already proven "nick" between Fernando Bale and My Bro Fabio.
ANY bitch from the Wheeler bloodlines can safely be mated to Amron Boy with confidence it brings in powerful and proven lines.
Fernando Bale daughters are already working exceptionally with Feral Franky, Mepunga Blazer, Aussie Infrared, Aston Dee Bee, Allen Deed, Goodesy, Magic Sprite, Shima Shine ... therein lies more than enough opportunity for Amron Boy to match up proven lines and become the great stud dog his pedigree and race performances suggest.