Widden Magic Millions…By Bernard Kenny

Duel Group 1 winner STRATUM STAR retired to Widden Stud.

The historic Widden Stud in the Widden Valley, NSW says farewell to its 150th anniversary by offering 40 outstanding yearlings at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale on 10-16 January.

Widden celebrated its 150th year by standing duel Group 1 winner Stratum Star, with the credentials to emulate their past champions of Todman, Vain, Bletchingly, Marscay and General Nediym.

Also last season Your Song was champion First Season Sire by wins, winners, city winners and stakes horses, Star Witness was Leading Third Season Sire and former champion 2yo colt Sebring finishing second on the Leading 3YO Sires table.

John Thompson established Widden Stud in 1867 as a cattle and horse property, having arrived from Yorkshire in 1832. The Thompson family developed Widden as one of the world’s greatest stud farms and produced great thoroughbred families.

Widden registered three ‘blood’ mares in the forerunner of the Australian Stud Book, which began in 1878, and later added more mares. By the time the Queen’s great-grandfather, the then Prince of Wales, had founded the royal stud at Sandringham in 1886, Widden was in 20 years of operation.

In the 2014-15 racing season Widden-bred horses won 10% of Australia’s Group 1 races with Dissident being crowned Australian Horse of The Year. The following season Widden was the leading sales vendor of Group 1 winners.

Today the seventh-generation Antony Thompson oversees Widden’s 151st annual yearling draft, while the Thompson family was an inaugural inductee into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.

In viewing Widden’s Magic Millions catalogue the interesting lots stem from choice stakes winning mares, all from the 35 yearlings catalogued in Book 1.

Lot 330 on Day 2 is a bay filly, foaled on 9 October 2016, by the Champion 3YO Sprinter Zoustar. She is full-sister to Zoustar’s first crop stakes placed winner Sunlight, the $7 third favourite for the Magic Millions 2YO Classic.

This filly is the fifth foal and third winner of duel Group 3 winner Solar Charged, who also foaled the stakes placed winner Sheika. Solar Charged is half-sister to Tasmanian Oaks winner Causeway Queen, from the stakes winning grand-dam Aretha, the dam of stakes winner Sir Linford.

Also on Day 2 is another bay filly by Zoustar, Lot 483 foaled on 26 August, from the US duel Group 3 winner Ailalea, by Pulpit. Ailalea is a half-sister to the stakes winner Spritely, from the stakes winning Woodman mare Wood Sprite, who is half-sister to stakes winner and producer Dake, by Gulch.

No Widden draft would be complete without a quality yearling by the ever-consistent Star Witness and Lot 664 is a bay filly foaled on 27 August. She is the third foal of Group 3 winner Dinkum Diamond, from the Group 3 winning mare Raja Lane, the dam of five winners.

Also on Day 4 is a quality bay colt, Lot 722 foaled on 20 August, the second living foal of American stakes winner Fastongrass, by the young dominant sire Sebring, who now has 33 stakes winners.

Fastongrass is the family of Group 1 winning mare First Approach, who through her multiple Group 2 winning daughter Alice Springs, has the Group winners Holiday Star and Spring Quality.

Lot 830 is a 28 August foaled bay filly by the all-conquering sire-shaping Snitzel, a first foal of Group 3 winner Intimate Moment, by Dubawi, from Gold Class the winning stakes placed second-dam.

Gold Class is also the dam of Gr3 Grand Prix winner Upham-Basic Trilogy, stakes winners Bonnie Mac and Gold Rum, and traces to US stakes winners Mo Dinero and Calendar Girl.

Widden Stud is also represented by six quality lots by first season sires Brazen Beau, the Newmarket Handicap winner, 2015 Horse of The Year in Dissident, Deep Field, Hallowed Crown, Rubick and Shooting To Win.

Widden nominated the Your Song – Sheeznnodoubt filly when asked which of their yearlings had the best chance of winning the Magic Millions 2YO Classic. ‘She looks ready made as her sire and broodmare sire Not a Single Doubt can get one going early. As a saver the Star Witness – Dinkum Diamond and Zoustar – Solar Charged fillies both look just as sharp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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