Widden Stud

Edited Press Release Cogburn (Not This Time--In a Jif, by Saintly Look) has had a successful start to his stud career, achieving excellent fertility results during his first season at WinStar Farm. The enthusiasm and demand for him internationally was also outstanding, however, while in Australia, fertility results were lower than his domestic performance and the decision was made to cut short Cogburn's visit to Australia. Cogburn had a busy book in Kentucky, getting 143 mares in foal, however his early results in Australia indicated a decline that warrants further...

Edited Press Release Scott Williamson has joined the international team at Metrics Equine, according to a press release from the group.  As part of his role with Metrics, Williamson will evaluate cardio potential, mechanical efficiency, and compatibility with other bloodlines and physical types for yearlings, 2-year-olds in training, and breeding stock in America, Australia, and New Zealand. Originally from Epsom, England, Williamson has developed and honed his skills and experience working in the Thoroughbred industry around the world for more than 25 years. A graduate of Writtle College with an...

By Dane McLeod/TTRAusNZ Zoustar, standing at Widden Stud, has been crowned Champion Australian General Sire for the first time. After finishing runner-up to I Am Invincible last season, the tables turned this year. Zoustar was represented by 198 individual winners of 335 races from 375 runners. His progeny earned A$26,318,590 in total prize-money, with 15 individual stakes winners winning a total of 23 stakes races. His standout performer, Joliestar, won the G1 Newmarket Handicap and G1 Kingsford Smith Cup, contributing a substantial A$2,813,500. I Am Invincible finished second with A$22,779,421,...

The current stallion manager at Darley in America Jimmy Lovatt has been on the Godolphin team since 2007, and he describes his journey with "the Royal Blue" on this week's Boundless podcast with jockey-veterinarian Ferrin Peterson. The Australian native was bitten by the horse bug as a child. "My parents bought a pony for me when I was five years of age," Lovatt tells Peterson. "I grew up in a riding school. I guess I fell in love with horses back then. In 2001, when I was back home in...

Widden Stud announced their stallion fees on Thursday, with Zoustar (Aus) unchanged at A$275,000 (inc GST) as he continues to battle with Pride Of Dubai (Aus) for the Australian Sires' Premiership. Zoustar, who retired to stud in 2014 after winning the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes and G1 Golden Rose at three, has eight Southern Hemisphere crops and four Northern Hemisphere crops. From those, he has sired 65 stakes winners led by 10 Group 1 winners. As of Thursday, Zoustar's progeny earnings for 2024/25 stand at A$20.7 million, just behind leader...

By Dane McLeod/Renee Geelen/TTR AusNZ The 2025 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale saw fireworks and frenzied buying action continue from Day 1 into Day 2. Another 15 yearlings reached the coveted A$1 million mark, giving the sale a total of 25 million-dollar lots. Buyers' thirst for quality continued as the sale ended on a very strong note. Lot 217--Zoustar (Aus) x The Actuary (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}) (filly)--A$2,600,000 The momentum of Zoustar continued as Lot 217, a classy filly out of the talented juvenile The Actuary, attracted a flurry of bids...

World record-setter Cogburn (Not This Time), who is currently standing his first season at WinStar Farm in the U.S. and is scheduled to shuttle during the Southern Hemisphere season to Widden Stud in New South Wales, has had his Australian fee set at AU$27,500. Cogburn stands for $30,000 at WinStar. Billed as "the fastest horse in the world," Cogburn blazed 5 1/2 furlongs in :59.80, setting a world record for the distance, while winning the GI Jaipur Stakes at Saratoga last summer. The 6-year-old won an additional three graded stakes,...

Carrying a foal by hot sire Justify on Southern Hemisphere time, stakes-placed April Vintage (Vino Rosso) topped the Inglis Digital USA October Sale Tuesday when selling to Widden Stud of Australia for $180,000. More details on the mare and her consignment by WinStar Farm are available here. "She is an outcross to our traditional Australian sire lines and the fact that she showed good, natural speed as a 2-year-old was important," said Antony Thompson of Widden Stud. "Physically, she looks suitable to plenty of our own stallions, and buying through...

   Cogburn (Not This Time--In a Jif, by Saintly Look), winner of this summer's GI Jaipur Stakes, will shuttle to Widden Stud in Australia in 2025, according to a Widden release Wednesday. Campaigned by Clark Brewster and William and Corinne Heiligbrodt, the 5-year-old set a new North American and world record when taking Saratoga's 5 1/2-furlong turf event in :59.80 in June, stated the release. "I've had some of the fastest horses in the world, some of the fastest horses of all time, and he's still the first one I've...

A share in Widden Stud's flagship sire Zoustar (Aus) will be offered in the Inglis Digital June (Early) Online Sale. A dual Group 1-winning sprinter in 2013 when trained by Chris Waller, Zoustar recently had his 2024 fee increased to A$275,000 (around €168,000) from A$220,000 (€134,000) for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season, making him the joint most expensive stallion in Australia alongside Extreme Choice (Aus) and I Am Invincible (Aus). That follows an outstanding season on the track for Zoustar in 2023/24, with Zougotcha (Aus), Joliestar (Aus), Climbing Star (Aus)...

Zoustar (Aus), the "flagship sire" at Widden Stud in Australia, has had his 2024 fee increased to A$275,000 (around €168,000) from A$220,000 (€134,000) ahead of the Southern Hemisphere breeding season, it was announced on Wednesday. A dual Group 1-winning sprinter in 2013 when trained by Chris Waller, Zoustar is now well established as one of the leading sires in Australia and has enjoyed an outstanding season on the track in 2023/24, with Zougotcha (Aus), Joliestar (Aus), Climbing Star (Aus) and the recently retired Ozzmosis (Aus) all winning at the top...

Marc Chan and Andrew Rosen's G3 Princess Margaret S. victrix Lezoo (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}--Roger Sez {Ire}, by Red Clubs {Ire}), who had met with defeat just once in four prior starts, made a significant breakthrough for her antipodean sire sensation (by Northern Meteor {Aus}) with a battling success in Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park S. at Newmarket. The 77,000gns Tattersalls Book 3 yearling and €110,000 Araqana Breeze-Up graduate made a winning debut at Bath in June, doubling up for a first black-type score in the Listed Empress S. later that...