Widden

For over 150 years Inglis’ and Widden Stud have shared a common goal of offering the type of Thoroughbred that exceeds a buyer’s expectations. Such longevity and common purpose has created a bond that one can’t imagine will ever be broken. And with the flagship Inglis sale fast approaching, Widden’s Antony Thompson gave us his thoughts on another outstanding draft.

Speaking with Antony one sensed that, even with the proven record of offering exceptional quality and the racetrack success achieved in years gone by, the 2020 Widden draft might just have reached another level. Antony explained, “The Inglis Easter Sale is without doubt one of the best and most successful sources of high-quality bloodstock in the world and we’re confident we have a draft that is befitting a sale of this calibre. This is a sale that combines the best pedigrees in the Australian Studbook with the best physical types that buyers are looking for and the Widden draft lacks on neither count.”

In a draft where all of the 26 yearlings will impress even the most critical of judges, there was always going to be a standout and it was no surprise when Antony gave us his thoughts. “Highlighting our draft is, in our opinion, the best stallion prospect seen at a sale all year – the Zoustar – Solar Charged colt; a full brother to champion 3yo filly Sunlight. He’s a stunning colt that lives up to his pedigree on type.

He’s the closest thing to Sunlight on appearance than any other foal she’s had – which includes the other full sister, Group winning three-year-old Sisstar.
He’s an outstanding colt in every way.”

Besides her undoubted class Sunlight has shown exceptional versatility in her eleven win, $6.5 million career. She showed precocity at two winning over
900 metres before taking the Magic Millions 2YO Classic. Then at three she led home the trifecta for Zoustar in the Gr.1 Coolmore Stud Stakes, beat the best sprinters under handicap conditions in the Gr.1 Newmarket Handicap and repeated the dose at weight-for-age at her following start in the Gr.1 William Reid Stakes.

She continued to win under set weights as a four-year-old before one of her finest performances when stretched to 1500 metres she went down narrowly in the Golden Eagle. There’s no reason to believe her younger brother can’t reach similar heights after he sells as Lot 212.

There can only be one winning bidder, but for those that miss out on the son of Solar Charged, Antony offers several classy alternatives by the same sire. “Our champion young stallion Zoustar is a leading sire of individual Group winners this season and we’re excited with the five yearlings we have to offer by him. In addition to the Solar Charged colt, the Kiss In The Rain is a very sharp, classy individual with real movement to him. The colt from Rosa’s Spur, making him a close relation to the brilliant two-year-old Pure Elation, will be popular as will the fillies from Lucky Angel and Bryony who both come from super families.

The colt out of Kiss In The Rain is the first foal of his winning dam who comes from the family of Snippets, Not A Single Doubt and, more recently, Oohood to name a few. He will lead off the Widden draft as Lot 6 while the colt out of Rosa’s Spur is Lot 167. Lucky Angel is one of eleven winners out of the excellent producer Professionelle with others including the Group winners Sportsman, Prisoner Of Love, Hoystar and the dam of Gr.1 Spring Champion Stakes winner Vanbrugh while Bryony is a Fastnet Rock sister to the Gr.1 Diamond Stakes winner Heroic Valour and a half-sister to the Gr.1 Doncaster Handicap winner Triple Honour.

The loss of Sebring so early in his career is yet to be fully felt in the ring and buyers will have the opportunity to purchase four colts and a filly from the penultimate crop of the Golden Slipper winner. “The Sebring colt from the Group One winning Redoute’s Choice mare Bonaria is a serious colt and highlights a very successful Sebring – Redoute’s Choice cross which has already delivered Group One success.” Antony explained. A tough mare who won on eight occasions including the Gr.1 Myer Empire Rose Stakes at Flemington, Bonaria brings plenty of pedigree to the table being a half-sister to the Gr.3 winner at two Legally Bay, dam of the Gr.1 Coolmore Stud Stakes and Royal Ascot Diamond Jubilee Stakes winner Merchant Navy amongst a page littered with black type.

Widden’s draft is comprised of stock by a diverse range of stallions including a lass by the three time Australian Champion Sire Snitzel. “The Snitzel filly from the fast, stakes performing I Am Invincible mare Comprende looks particularly sharp and certainly one we can see flying early in the major two-year-old races as does the Star Witness filly from Ready As Elle who is a half-sister to Inglis Nursery winner, Inglis Millennium and Gr.2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes runner up Accession,” said Antony.

Other proven sires represented include I Am Invincible who has a colt out of the More Than Ready mare Modonna from the family of Fastnet Rock that sells as Lot 82, and a filly out of the Gr.3 winning Dubawi mare Intimate Moment from the family of current three-year-old sensation Exceedance that will enter as Lot 502. There is also a Pierro colt out of Absolutely Flying, Lot 305, from a family known for coming to hand early, and a Fastnet Rock colt out of the aptly named Fastongrass by Forest Wildcat that goes through as Lot 438.

There is also Lot 158, an All Too Hard colt out of Renascent which is a half-brother to the recent Stakes winner Renewal, a Savabeel filly first foal out of the Gr.3 winning Pins mare Honey Rider as Lot 488 and a pair of So You Think fillies, Lot 444 out of Find Joy, an American Stakes winning mare by Drosselmeyer and Lot 211, out of Soho Secret the dam of Vanbrugh mentioned above.

The Thompson family have long recognised the importance to the breed of the speed required to win the Golden Slipper through the likes of Todman, Vain, Marscay and Stratum and they’ll send to Riverside three youngsters by the latest Slipper winner to stud in Capitalist. The colt that sells as Lot 354 is out of the Redoute’s Choice mare Brand New Choice and comes from the same family of Snippets et al as the Zoustar – Kiss In The Rain colt. Buyers might also like to cast their eye over a pair of Capitalist fillies, Lot 336 the first foal of the dual Listed winning sprinter Atmospherical and Lot 439 out of Fawcett, a Stratum half-sister to the now Widden based stallion and multiple Gr.1 winner Trapeze Artist.

The Golden Slipper theme spills over into Lot 131, a colt by the American Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. This colt is out of a Charge Forward mare, that sire responsible as a broodmare sire for recent Slipper winners She Will Reign and Estijaab, while this particular colt’s dam Phantom Queen is a half-sister to Sweet Idea who ran third in the Slipper behind Overreach. Widden will also offer a filly from the Group placed Fastnet Rock mare Wordplay as Lot 289, the dam a half-sister to the Gr.1 Tancred Stakes and Victoria Derby winner Fiveandahalfstar. Rounding out the draft is a Maurice colt from the Encosta De Lago mare Vicky, making him a half-brother to the Hong Kong Derby winner Ping Hai Star.

So, you can see there is something in the draft to that will appeal to a broad cross-section of buyers and all of the yearlings will come prepared to perfection by the Widden team. They await your inspection in Barn J at Riverside. ©