On a red letter day for Widden Stud, champion sire Zoustar has scaled the mountain and swept past Pride of Dubai to take over at the top of the Australian sires List by earnings courtesy of his Group I winning stallion Schwarz and his expensive filly Clean Energy, who returned to top form to win the Group III MVRC PKF Don Casboult Classic (1200m)
In the very next race after the Widden Stud bred and sold Schwarz landed his first G1 in the MVRC William Reid Stakes, it was the turn of the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained filly Clean Energy.
Unbeaten at two winning her only two starts including a Listed victory over Lady Shenandoah, Clean Energy missed the spring racing and reappeared to finish third in a fillies open handicap at Flemington on March 1.
She took benefit from that run and with Craig Williams on board was able to zoom home from back in the field to score a three-quarter length win over Group winning Zousain filly Amelita.
“Gai and the team have done a great job. I worked her here on Tuesday morning and loved the way she went for me. I spoke to Blake Shinn who rode her first-up and he gave me a bit of insight into as well,” said Williams.
“We did have a plan, but she had a different plan than we did and we found ourselves a lot further back. We just trusted her and she picked up and showed versatility, not that that is the way to ride her, but it show she can be quite versatile."
A $2.6million Magic Millions purchase for Yulong from Widden Stud, Clean Energy is a full sister to Champion Filly Sunlight, a triple Group I winning $6.5million earner and Group III winner Sisstar being the eighth winner from nine foals to race from super producing Group III winner Solar Charged.
Bred by Widden in partnership, she was the second highest priced yearling at Magic Millions in 2023 and was the highest priced yearling filly sold anywhere in Australia in 2023.
The two year old full brother to Clean Energy was sold at Inglis Easter last year for $850,000 to China Horse Club / Newgate / Go Bloodstock / Trilogy and has been named Lyon with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott to train.
Solar Charged produced another colt by Zoustar last year and was then covered by him again.
