Fee for Giant's Causeway to $300,000; Fusaichi at $125,000; Stravinsky to Japan

The stud fee for Giant's Causeway   is being raised to $300,000. The son of Storm Cat began the 2005 breeding season at Coolmore's Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky., for $150,000 and his fee was raised to $200,000 in April.

He is the sire of 11 stakes winners, and this year is represented by 10 stakes winners, four of them group/grade I winners: First Samurai, Footstepsinthesand, Shamardal, and Maids Causeway. Foostepsinthsand was just announced as entering stud at Ashford in 2006.

Giant's Causeway   entered stud at John Magnier and partners Coolmore in Ireland in 2001 and was sent to the outfit's Ashford for the 2002 season. His fee in 2002 was $135,000. It was $125,000 in 2003 and $75,000 in 2004.

He is the leading second-crop sire by progeny earnings by a wide margin, with $6 million to fellow Ashford Stud stallionFusaichi Pegasus  ' $3.7 million. Giant's Causeway   is sixth on the general sire list. Giant's Causeway   had been shuttling to Coolmore Australia but did not ship to stand the Southern Hemisphere season this year. He covered 215 mares this year at Ashford.

Storm Cat has the highest stud fee, $500,000, and Giant's Causeway   joins A.P. Indy and Kingmambo at $300,000.

Ashford also announced the fee for Fusaichi Pegasus   will be $125,000, down from $150,000 this year. By Mr. Prospector, he also is the sire of 11 stakes winners including 2005 grade I winners Bandini and Roman Ruler.

He entered stud at Ashford in 2001 for $150,000 and his fee was $135,000 in 2002, $125,000 in 2003, and $85,000 in 2004. He covered 213 mares this season at Ashford and is currently standing the Southern Hemisphere season at Coolmore Australia.

In other Ashford news, a published report in Japan stated that Stravinsky, the sire of 24 stakes winners, has been sold to stand at the Japan Bloodstock Breeders' Association's Shizunai Stallion Station. The son of Nureyev is represented this year by six stakes winners in the Northern Hemisphere (five of them group/graded winners), and three in the Southern Hemisphere (both group winners).

He was just represented by a classic winner in Australia when Serenade Rose won the Nov. 3 Victoria Oaks (Aust-I).

His stud fee in Japan will be ¥2,300,000 (about $20,000), where he is expected to cover a book of about 110 mares. He stood in 2005 at Ashford Stud for $25,000. Stravinsky has also been shuttling to Cambridge Stud in New Zealand.