One of the brightest shining lights in the first season sire race is the Group One winning son of Forty Niner, End Sweep. And if early indications count for anything then this bloke is going to make the grade.

Highly regarded Arrowfield chief John Messara is so confident he is going to produce early runners he is placing bets with other prominent breeding experts that End Sweep will be represented by more runners in next year's Magic Millions Classic than any other.

Buyers must have had the same feeling as Messara as they moved quickly to buy themselves one of his youngsters in Queensland this month. And then again why wouldn't the top class galloper prove himself at stud in Australia after his strong start in America. In that part of the world he is already the sire of Group One winners Trippi, Nany's Sweep, Dark Ending and Swept Overboard.

End Sweep has all the credentials of a top stallion. He is a Group One winner by a Group One winner (Forty Niner), from a Group One winner (Broom Dance). Broom Dance is a half sister to the Group stars Salem, Pumpkin Moonshine and Tingle Stone.

It's also been a sensational start for the former champion galloper and Arc winner Peintre Celebre after a great sale at the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast.

When the little chestnut boy was foaled in 1994 there was an expectation that he should be above average. Above average - C'mon this guy blew that out of the window - he was a Champion!

Winning the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in sensational style he also won at Group One level in the French Derby and Grand Prix de Paris.

His sire is the Group Three winner Nureyev. A reasonable performer he's now established himself as a legend in thoroughbred breeding. His other top performers include Theatrical, Miesque, Spinning World, Sonic Lady and Annoconnor.

Peintre Celebre's dam is the Group Two winning Alydar mare Peintre Bleue. In fact the champ's first three dams were all European stakeswinners. From a black type littered female family.

Although only the Gold Coast and Sydney will the champion Japanese sire Sunday Silence have offerings, potential buyers in Adelaide have the chance to snap up youngsters by his Group One winning son Bubble Gum Fellow.

A winner of the Asahi Hai Juvenile Stakes at Nakayama and the Emperor's Cup at Tokyo, Bubble Gum Fellow's sire is unstoppable in Japan. He has been the leading sire there for the past seven years and consistently churns out more stakes winners than most of the others put together.

He comes from a mighty female family. The 1993 foaling is from the Lyphard mare Bubble Company. As well as Bubble Gum Fellow she has produced the French Group One and Two winner Intimiste and the stakes winner Basiluzzo. She has another stakes performer, while her daughters have produced no fewer than five stakes horses.

Already Bubble Gum Fellow has been represented by winners with his first crop just hitting the track in Japan, while Australians are sure to be attracted to his crop in Adelaide in February.

Many studs try to tell us their stallions are all wonderful lookers - flashy types who look the real deal. But many of us are then disappointed when we see certain beasts in the flesh for the first time. This however can't be said for the former brilliant European galloper Generous.

A former European based stallion Generous impressed one of New Zealand's leading studs he was the real deal by enticing them to seek out and buy the promising young sire. Now instead of being owned in the Northern Hemisphere and shuttling down south Generous does the opposite. He is now a reverse shuttler and the Plantation Stud shuttle him from Glenmorgan Stud near Pukekohe in New Zealand.

Generous was bred to be a champion and he was! By the Group One winner Caerleon he is from the unraced Master Derby mare Doff the Derby. What a gem she has been at stud. New Zealand had Eight Carat and Europe has Doff the Derby. As well as Generous she is the dam of Imagine, Osumi Tycoon, Wedding Bouquet, Windy Triple K and Strawberry Roan.

At stud Generous has made a dynamic start. His topliners include Catella, Capri, Lisieux Rose, Bahr, Radevore, Courteous, Blueprint, Worldly Ways, Germano and Windsor Ways.

Danzig has established himself as a prominent sire of sires - thanks to the achievements of Danehill, Chief's Crown, Danzig Connection, Polish Patriot, Green Desert, Anabaa, Dayjur, Snaadee and Maroof. Now it's time for Polish Navy to join the list.

A winner of seven races - including four at two, Polish Navy won three times at racing's most elite level. And having been retired to stud in American in 1989 he is notching up winners daily in the Northern Hemisphere. His best runners to date include Group One stars Sea Hero and Ghazi as well as Prussian Blue, Godspeed, Toshi the Mika, Excellence Robin and Dyhim.

Polish Navy is from a lightly raced Tatan mare Navsup, who is a daughter of the Group One winning wonder mare Busanda. That makes Polish Navy's dam a half sister to Buckpasser, Bupers and Bureaucracy.

The European Champion Three-Year-Old of 1998 Desert Prince made a great start to his year with his yearlings selling extremely well on the Gold Coast earlier this month.

A triple Group One winner in three countries, Desert Prince is a son of the top galloper and champion sire Green Desert. Many of Green Desert's top winning sons have now headed to stud and they include Desert Sun, Volksraad, Desert Style, Sheikh Albadou, Shinko Forest, Cape Cross, Magic Ring, Greenlander and of course Desert Prince.

His dam Flying Fairy, a daughter of the Group One Thousand Guineas winner Fairy Footsteps, is also the dam of the two-year-old winning multiple stakes placegetter Femme Amoureuse. Also among his family are the Group One winners Light Cavalry and Royal Palace.

Gold Fever has made a positive start to his new life in the breeding barn with his progeny making good prices in both the Gold Coast and Sydney over the past few weeks.

Another son of Forty Niner, Gold Fever was a Group One winner of the NYRA Mile Handicap at Aqueduct among seven wins - three of which came when he was a two-year-old.

Gold Fever's dam Lead Kindly Light, a winner of the Group Three Athenia Stakes at Belmont, is also the dam of listed race winner and Group One placegetter Emanating.

The chestnut foaled in 1993 is being represented by his first crop in the Northern Hemisphere and that crop includes the Group Two winner Gold Mover and stakes winner Golden Hurricane.

American hasn't seen many faster gallopers in recent years than the exceptionally talented son of Forty Niner, Distorted Humor. Australian breeders welcomed the stallion to Victoria with open arms and it's now the buyers turn to do the same thing.

A dual Group Two winner of eight races the striking chestnut entire earned close to a million dollars during a short, yet illustrious career.

His sire Forty Niner, a winner of the Champagne Stakes among five in his first year on the track, was the American Champion 2YO and trained on to win six more races. His dam, by the mighty Danzig, was a Group Two winner and Group One runner-up, who had six winners and as well as Distorted Humor was also headlined by three time stakes winner Dancing Gulch.

Red Ransom would have to be the most proven of the first season sires with the son of Roberto having already been proven among the best stallions in America.

A winner at Belmont and Saratoga as a two-year-old, Red Ransom has a track record breaker and is now doing the job at stud with his class performers like Perfect Sting, Briarcliff, Pico Teneriffe, Bail Out Becky, Sri Pekan, Intikhab, Trail City, China Visit and Ekraar.

It was no surprise to see his first Australian bred youngsters on offer at the Gold Coast earlier this month sell for good money. All of the leading buyers were seen inspecting his yearlings and his Adelaide trio come from strong female families.

A Group One winner at two Lycius, a son of the king Mr Prospector, is represented with his first Australian based crop in 2002.

On the track Lycius was a sensationally fast two-year-old. His win in the Group One Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket had to be seen to be believed. A consistent galloper he was also placed in no less than five top class Group One races.

Already Lycius' progeny has reached the top level of racing in Europe. His leading runners include Milan Gran Criterium winner Hello, Ivan Luis, Media Nox, Ya Hajar, Athlumney Lady, Lycitus, Aylesbury and Miss Universal.

Brazil hasn't seen a better racehorse in many years than the son of Baynoun, Sandpit. It was no surprise when he was crowned the champion three-year-old of Brazil in 1993.

A Group One winner in both America and Brazil, Sandpit's dam Sand Dancer also produced the Group winner Sandhill and Group One placegetter Sandbox. Another of her winning daughters is the dam of Group One winner Brunnhilde.

Sandpit commenced stud duties in American in 1998 and his early stakes performers include Ashbecca and Arctic Sand.

Heart Lake came to stand his first Australian season at Kambula Stud alongside Blevic and had only served a handful of mares before he was tragically killed.

A Group One winner of the Yasuda Memorial at Tokyo in Japan, Heart Lake is by the siring legend Nureyev. His other sons at stud include Spinning World, Soviet Star and Peintre Celebre.

Heart Lake is a son of the Group One winning Exclusive Native mare My Darling One, who is also the dam of two other stakes runners. His third dam is the multiple Group One winning Nashua mare Marshua (who is the dam of Marsha's Dancer).

2002 will be the only opportunity you get to buy a yearling by Heart Lake so don't miss out. Remember Brave Warrior and St. Covet.

There's hardly a better international pedigree available than that of the son of Riverman, Loup Sauvage. A Group One winner of the Prix d'Ispahan at Longchamp in France, he is by the Group One winner Riverman, who has since been the Champion French Sire twice.

On the other side of the family tree is Louveterie, a dual winning Nureyev mare, who was a Group winner and twice Group One placed. A half sister to no less than six stakes horses Louveterie is also the dam of another star on the track Loup Solitaire. Since being retired to stud Loup Solitaire won the Grand Criterium at Longchamp and was crowned the Champion French 2YO of 1995.

A dual Group One winner of the Champagne Stakes in Sydney and the QTC Sires' Produce Stakes in Brisbane, Dracula needs little introduction to Australian breeders.

Trained by John Hawkes, the son of Quest for Fame was voted the Champion Australian 2YO of 1998 - during a season which netted him five wins. He was retired after winning seven races - five at stakes level.

He is from the lightly raced Kaoru Star mare Awards Ceremony, a top producing mare who's other runners have included The Oscars, Sash and Vampire - all black typers.

Another former locally bred and based galloper that needs no introduction is the flashy chestnut General Nediym.

Recently relocated to Eliza Park Stud in Victoria, General Nediym started his career in Queensland where he proved extremely popular with breeders. And demand at Eliza Park has also been strong since he made the move south.

From a family which traces back to the mighty mare Horlicks, the dam of Brew and Bubble, General Nediym was a champion sprinter who was firing at two and he trained on always racing against the best Australia had to offer. His five wins as a two-year-old were followed by another eight in the following seasons.

General Nediym, a son of the Group Three winner Nediym, comes from a tried and tested Australian female pedigree that includes the former top galloper cum sire Interstellar.

For many years the progeny of Danehill have proved extremely popular at sales throughout the world. His dominance in Australia is unparalleled. A multiple champion sire Danehill is the highest priced stallion in the country.

A boom two-year-old of his crop Shovhog, an amazingly fast son of Danehill, gets his chance to prove a success at stud with a strong first crop up for grabs throughout the country in the next few months.

Many will realise Lion Hunter - currently Australia's leading first season sire thanks to Lovely Jubly - was the fastest son of Danehill in Australia and Shovhog must be close to his second fastest.

He is out of the former star two-year-old filly Startling Lass, a five time Group winning daughter of a smart two-year-old himself Luskin Star.

This year it will be Danehill's full brother Anziyan who is put to the test in Adelaide with one of his yearlings set to go under the hammer. A Group placegetter on the track Anziyan has been well supported at stud in New Zealand and has only one offering in Adelaide - and indeed his first offered in the country - is a gem.

Anziyan's bay colt (lot 558) is a half brother to the recent New Year's Gift stakeswinner Real Time. Trained by Russell Cameron Real Time is now the winner of six races for his Adelaide based connections.

A five time Group One winner Soviet Star is hoping to add his name to an ever growing list of Nureyev's exciting young sons at stud in Australia including Peintre Celebre and Spinning World.

He has already created a big impression with runners like Ashkalani, Soviet Line, Limpid, Starborough, Freedom City and Sensation winning in high class races throughout Europe.

Soviet Star comes from an exceptional female family. His dam, the Venture mare Veruschka, is the dam of three stakes winners including fellow Group One winner The Very One.

One of the more interesting first season sires represented is the lightly raced son of Green Dancer, Dexter. After making a name for himself in Pakistan, the British bred is trying his luck down under.

Dexter is by the former brilliant French juvenile galloper Green Dancer, who's sons at stud include Suave Dancer, Will Dancer and Senor Pete. But it's his dam line that impresses most.

His dam, the Group Three winner Korveya, has been one of the best broodmares the world has seen in recent years. She has produced no fewer than three champions performers - Hector Protector, Shanghai and Bosra Sham as well another stakes performer and a French winning daughter who is now the dam of Group One winning star Ciro.

Commencing stud duties in Pakistan in 1997 his early runners have impressed in that area. His top performers in that part of the world include Princess Rukhtaas a winner of eight races including the Pakistan Derby and One Thousand Guineas. His early runners have also managed to win the Two Thousand Guineas and Breeders' Cup in Pakistan.

Double Vice showed great promise in early training before he broke down in his one and only start for leading American trainer Alan Bond. The reports of his above average ability wasn't surprising as his full sister was one of the best mares the US has produced in recent times.

Twice the Vice was a bonny mare and she won 12 high class races during a brilliant career on the track. A Del Mar Oaks winner she won five Group One events and ten of her 12 wins came in stakes company. As well as Twice the Vice, Double's Vice's dam Double Set has also produced Burgandy Dancer, a Group Three winner in Canada.

Foaled in 1995, Double Vice, who is by the champion Vice Regent, was retired to Glenrae Stud, where he still stands today and has been a welcome new addition to the South Australian stallion ranks.

Many stud masters and owners, breeders and stallion share holders will be literally holding their breath when youngsters by "their" stallion enter the ring for sale at Morphettville next month.

Some will make it, some won't - we can be assure of that. Only time will tell! Bring on Adelaide!

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