Not A Single Doubt leaves a substantial legacy

Not A Single Doubt, the breed-shaping stallion who died at Arrowfield Stud on Monday, made a significant mark as a sire of elite horses in both Australia and Hong Kong.

Not A Single Doubt has died aged 20, (Photo: Bronwen Healy, Courtesy of Arrowfield Stud).

Not A Single Doubt, Redoute’s Choice’s first stakes winner who became a breed-shaping stallion in his own right, has died at Arrowfield Stud, just a few weeks short of his 21st birthday.

He had been retired from stud duties in early 2020 with respiratory problems. While his commercial value was then at its height, the decision was made in order to preserve his quality of life and he remained in the care of Arrowfield’s veterinary teams until he was euthanised on Monday.

“Not A Single Doubt was a very special friend to everyone at Arrowfield, and a wonderful flag-bearer for us and for his sire Redoute’s Choice,” Arrowfield’s Chairman John Messara said.

“He carved out an exceptional stud career on sheer merit and we are incredibly proud of him, and everything he has contributed to the Australian thoroughbred industry.”

Indeed, he leaves an extraordinary legacy, having produced 79 stakes winners across his 15 seasons at stud. Among them were 16 Group One winners, including multiple top-flight winners Kenedna, Scales Of Justice, Miracles Of Life, Shout The Bar and Extreme Choice. He also sired The Everest winner, Classique Legend.

He also had 31 winners in Hong Kong, among them G1 Centenary Sprint Cup winner Stronger and G1 Champions Mile winner Southern Legend.

He carved out an exceptional stud career on sheer merit and we are incredibly proud of him, and everything he has contributed to the Australian thoroughbred industry.

Extreme Choice, although troubled by fertility issues at Newgate, continues to build on his sire’s impact as a stallion himself and was last season’s Champion First Season Sire and will be the most expensive stallion in Australia in 2022. He has three sons, Stay Inside, Extreme Warrior and Tiger of Malay set to debut at stud this year.

Other sons of Not A Single Doubt at stud include G1 Golden Slipper winner Farnan, Dubious, Anders, Doubtland and Squamosa.

Bred at Arrowfield from the stakes-placed mare Singles Bar, who is herself the half-sister to Champion stallion Snippets, Not A Single Doubt was purchased by Graeme Rogerson as a yearling.

From the first crop of Redoute’s Choice, he wasted little time becoming the first of that stallion’s progeny to earn black type, winning the Listed Canonbury Stakes for Rogerson in December 2003.

His other stakes success came under the care of Tony Vasil in the Listed Zeditave Stakes as a three-year-old and he was then retired to Arrowfield, where he began his career standing at a fee of $13,750.

His first stakes success as a sire came in 2010 through Doubtful Jack and he then marked his first Group One win when Miracles Of Life won the 2013 Blue Diamond Stakes.

It was to prove a watershed moment for the sire as a succession of elite horses followed, prompting a rise in status, fee and mare quality. By the time he stood his final season at Arrowfield in 2019, his fee was $110,000.

He was the leading Australian-based sire on worldwide earnings in both 2015/16 and 2020/21 and the demand for his progeny has seen his final two crops of yearlings average over $550,000 over the past two sales seasons. That included eight $1 million-plus results.

As things stand, Not A Single Doubt has produced 774 winners from 1061 runners, with progeny earnings over just over $150 million.

“I’m grateful to Ron Finemore who led his original ownership group and always believed in Not A Single Doubt, to all the breeders who supported him, and to the buyers, owners and trainers who backed his progeny, especially in those critical early years.” Messara said.

“And thank you to our stallion and veterinary staff for their devoted care of Not A Single Doubt, particularly since his retirement.”

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