By Peter Wharton
The Art Major horse Major Bronski, the sire of star Tasmanian duo Kosimo and Iden Gorgeous – both Group placegetters – is to stand this season at Sue Streit’s Elderslie Horse Care and Spelling north of Hobart.
His service fee is $1,100 including GST with fresh, chilled semen accessible to Tasmania and all mainland States.
“We are excited to stand Major Bronski especially as he is the sire of Tasmania’s mare of the year Iden Gorgeous. We appreciate this opportunity as we feel he will be a good alternative for Tasmanian breeders,” Sue Streit said.
Major Bronski’s oldest stock are seven-year-olds and from 71 starters he has left 45 winners – a 63 percent strike rate – with a creditable average of $20,291 per starter. All told, his progeny have amassed more than $1.4 million including $200,000 this season.
From his first crop he sired a smart racemare in Bronski Belle 1:51.8 ($132,237), a winner of 11 races including a semi-final of the Vicbred Super Series and several at Menangle.
The recent Melton winner Major Manbar 1:53.3 ($115,360), the Vicbred 2YO Silver winner Rosie Sambrosie, Heritage Lady (Wagga Oaks), Kosimo ($76,021) and Major Comment have been other notable winners by Major Bronski from his early crops.
Major Bronski, who had a record of 1:56.1, was a top racehorse in his own right.
From 24 starts he won 13 and was four times placed for $94,279 in stakes. He was not extensively raced because of an injury but showed that he was up to the best horses of his time, winning nine races on end as a two and three-year-old including a heat of the Victoria Derby beating For A Reason.
On the score of blood Major Bronski lacks nothing. His sire Art Major (1:48.8) was a champion with stake earnings of $3,273,217 and has been one of Australia’s top sires for some time.
Bronski Gorgeous, the dam of Major Bronski, has been one of the gems of the Australian stud book. She is the dam of 10 individual winners, six of whom took records of better than 1:55 and four who earned $100,000 or more including the Group winners Admiral Bronski (1:51.6) and General Bronski (1:53.7) and the exported Brigadier Bronski (1:51).
One of the best daughters of leading sire Fake Left, Bronski Gorgeous ranked as a half-sister to the former 3YO of the Year and Tasmanian Derby winner Sir Galvinator and the APG winner Esprit De Kayjay.