With a heavy heart, The Thoroughbred Report announces the passing of the promising sire Contributer (Ire). He died while covering a mare on the morning of Sunday, September 8. A sire of nine stakes winners, including two Group 1 winners, Contributer was a young horse with significant potential still ahead.
“What he’s done off those smaller books has been amazing. It’s devastating with his bigger books being only 2-year-olds. He had such a big future, and he was a horse with a lot of upside,” said Mapperley Stud’s Simms Davison. “His book was full this year, and people could see real value with him.”
Contributer (Ire) with Simms Davison
Brilliant season in 2023/24
Contributer had a fairytale start at stud, siring six individual stakes winners from just 66 foals in his first crop, striking at well over nine per cent stakes winners to foals.
The success continued with Contributer having a massive season in 2023/24, producing five individual stakes winners, led by G1 Zabeel Classic winner Campionessa (NZ). Lion’s Roar (NZ), who added the G3 Summer Cup to his earlier G1 Randwick Guineas success, while Snow Patrol (NZ) earned the G2 Autumn S. at Caulfield. Additionally, Maria Farina (NZ) and Contribute (NZ) secured wins in Group 3 class in New Zealand.
Contributer (Ire) | Image courtesy of Mapperley Stud
His career tally of nine stakes winners also includes G2 Lowland S. winner and G1 NZ Oaks-placed Llanacord (NZ) and Listed winners Family Ties (NZ), She’s a Con (NZ), and Elizabeth Rose (NZ).
Lion's Roar looks to have another good season ahead of him after winning the Listed Wyong Cup last week.
“He had truly started to shine as a sire, he had left some tremendously talented racehorses and we know his legacy will live on,” Davison added in a Loveracing.nz press release.
“He (Contributer) had truly started to shine as a sire, he had left some tremendously talented racehorses and we know his legacy will live on.” - Simms Davison
"From very limited numbers, he's preformed incredibly well as a sire. What he has achieved on the track is pretty amazing. He was very much in our proven stallion ranks in New Zealand, it’s a big loss not only for our stud but for the entire industry."
Current 2-year-olds are his biggest crop
“His whole story has been a bit tragic. He had an injury in his second season and had smaller books for a couple of years to manage the injury. We’d finally got him right, and for this to happen now is devastating. His story should’ve ended with him being Champion Sire, not like this.”
| 2017/18 | 92 | 66 | 60 | 44 | 6 |
| 2018/19 | 73 | 38 | 33 | 23 | 0 |
| 2019/20 | 65 | 31 | 28 | 21 | 2 |
| 2020/21 | 80 | 35 | 28 | 13 | 1 |
| 2021/22 | 85 | 52 | 7 | 2 | / |
| 2022/23 | 102 | 65 | / | / | / |
| 2023/24 | 60 | 29 | / | / | / |
| 2024/25 | 69 | / | / | / | / |
Table: Contributer's progeny
“He was doing such a good job. There are good signs with his early 3-year-olds too,” said Davison. In August’s Listed Wanganui Guineas, He’s Lucid (NZ) ran third and Social Climber (NZ) ran fourth. And from his largest crop since his first year, Shoma (NZ) won an early season 2-year-old trial last week.
Improving in the marketplace
The market had shown steady gains for Contributer as buyers saw the quality of his progeny, until 2024 where his 28 yearlings sold for an average of NZ$83,639, almost four times their conceived price ($22,000 plus GST) in 2024.
| Campionessa | 17f | G1 winner |
| Lion's Roar | 17g | G1 winner |
| Snow Patrol | 20c | G2 winner |
| Llanacord | 17f | G2 winner, G1 placed |
| Contribute | 17f | G3 winner |
| Maria Farina | 17f | Listed winner |
| Elizabeth Rose | 17f | Listed winner |
| She's A Con | 19f | Listed winner |
| Family Ties | 19f | Listed winner |
Table: Contributer’s stakes-winning progeny
A tough racehorse over many seasons
A winner at two from two starts, the highlight of Contributer’s career with two Group 1 wins; the G1 Chipping Norton S. and the G1 Ranvet S. He raced from two to five and was a winner in each of his four seasons of racing, winning eight races in total with another four placings from 18 starts with earnings over $1 million.
Contributer (Ire) when racing | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Originally raced in Europe, he was a Group 3 winner there before heading down under for his 5-year-old season where he won both his Group 1 races.
A strong pedigree
Contributer is a son of High Chaparral (Ire) whose other sire sons include So You Think (NZ) with 57 stakes winner, Toronado (Ire) with 39 stakes winners and Dundeel (NZ) with 30 stakes winners.
High Chaparral (Ire) | Image courtesy of Coolmore
One of seven winners for Group 3 winner Serisia (Fr) (Exit To Nowhere {USA})), Contributer's stakes-placed winning half-sister Saimaa (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) is the dam of Japanese Listed winner, and Group 1-placed, Sunrise Zipangu (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}).
Recent Group 1 winner King Of Steel (USA) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is from Contributer's family.
“I’m still struggling to come to terms with the loss of Contributer, the entire team are very shocked by the news. He was such a character, an awesome horse to work with. He had a wonderful temperament, an engaging personality and everyone who worked with him just loved him,” Davison said.
“I’m still struggling to come to terms with the loss of Contributer, the entire team are very shocked by the news. He was such a character, an awesome horse to work with.” - Simms Davison
Throughout his career, Contributer stood at modest fees and he far outperformed the expectations that came with his service fee. He is an untimely loss for the New Zealand breeding industry.
