Widden Stud have announced fees on an
outstanding roster of eight stallions headed by the mighty Sebring and Champion
Australian First Season Sire elect Zoustar.
WIDDEN STALLIONS 2018
SEBRING - $66,000
ZOUSTAR - $60,500
STAR WITNESS - $33,000
NICCONI - $24,750
YOUR SONG - $22,000
SHAMUS AWARD - $11,000
STRATUM STAR - $11,000
OUTREACH - $7,700
(all fees are inclusive of GST)
"Sebring has had a phenomenal last 12 months," Antony
Thompson reflected.
"Having sired some 42 Stakes Performers, 17 Stakes
Winners including two Group I winners in this period there was an expectation
to increase fee given the ongoing success of his progeny.
"He's enjoyed a yearling average at both major sales
of over $240,000 with a top lot of $1.4m so we feel his fee maintained at
$66,000 represents terrific value."
The emergence of Zoustar as a serious young
sire is a source of great satisfaction at Widden, which was home to his top
class sire Northern Meteor, the Champion First Season Sire of 2012/2013.
"Zoustar has started in spectacular fashion,
in fact he is ahead of where Northern Meteor was at the same stage with his
first crop. He looks every inch the heir to his late Champion sire," Thompson
said.
"Attitude, constitution, class and scope are terms
that have been regularly used in reference to his progeny and the exciting
thing is, like their sire, they'll improve further at three."
Of course, Zoustar trained on to become the
Champion Sprinter of his generation winning the Group I ATC Golden
Rose and VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes as a spring three
year-old and his list of winners already
includes brilliant $2mMagic Millions 2YO
Classic and Silver Slipper Stakes Gr2 winner Sunlight, stakes-placed
Lean Mean Machine and Sydney metro winners Madam Rouge and Zousain.
"The competition on his yearlings this year has
been incredible and highlights the fact he is producing such cracking
types in addition to delivering winners. He's one of the most exciting
young stallions I've been privileged enough to work with."
Well proven sires Star Witness,Nicconi and
Your Song all represent great value and their progeny tell the story.
"Nicconi and Star Witness have proven to
be two of Australia's most popular young stallions covering over 400
mares each in their last two seasons and they
certainly profile as stallions that are only going to continue
on an upward scale whereas Your Song is also coming off a large book given his
first crop 2yo success last season," Thompson concluded.
"All three stallions, standing at $30k or
under, represent a smart play for breeders this year given the
numbers you have working for you prior to selling your mare's progeny."
Widden will again be happy to tailor discounted packages on multiple stallion bookings for this season - an opportunity for the breeders to receive significant returns on investment.
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