Golden Slipper winner and Widden sire Sebring succumbs to heart attack aged 13

Golden Slipper Stakes winner Sebring died suddenly on Saturday, leaving Widden Stud to deal with the loss of its top-class sire and arguably More Than Ready's best-credentialed son in Australia.

Sebring, who won the 2008 Golden Slipper Stakes for trainer Gai Waterhouse and syndicator Star Thoroughbreds, suffered a heart attack. He was 13 years of age.

The sire of 51 stakes winners, including five Group 1 scorers such as Dissident, Criterion and this season’s MRC Thousand Guineas hero Amphitrite, Sebring was retired to Widden Stud in 2009.

"Sebring was the horse of a lifetime, as a racehorse and a stallion, he changed lives," Widden Stud principal Antony Thompson said.

"It's been a great privilege to stand him at Widden and we are incredibly grateful to everyone that has supported him throughout his career and given him the opportunity to succeed in the way that he has.

"It's because of you, the breeders, that we can make these young colts into champion sires and we thank everyone wholeheartedly for showing the same faith in him that we had."

Sebring, who was bred by George Altomonte's Corumbene Stud, is currently seventh on the Australian general sires' table by earnings, with 95 winners having gained A$5,995,980 in prize-money. In 2015, in his highest finish on the general sires' table, he was third behind Fastnet Rock and Exceed And Excel.

He finished third to barnmate Northern Meteor in the first-season sire table by earnings in the 2012-13 season, producing 16 individual winners headed by and Todman Stakes victor Criterion.

He raced just six times for five wins, a record that includes successes in the 2008 Golden Slipper Stakes and Sires Produce Stakes. His only defeat came in the Champagne Stakes when runner-up to star filly Samantha Miss, who he defeated when landing the Sires Produce Stakes.

He was only seen publicly once as a three-year-old when second in a Randwick barrier trial in January 2009.

"He was fun, energetic and playful which is how we will remember him," Thompson said.

"His influence will no doubt be felt for many years into the future and we look forward to seeing the legacy he leaves through his sons and daughters in generations to come."

With progeny earnings of more than A$67m, the death of Sebring will perhaps be felt even more keenly by breeders given his remarkable sire More Than Ready will not be returning to Vinery Stud this year after shuttling from the US for 18 consecutive years.

Sebring, who covered 199 mares last year at a fee of A$66,000, has produced sire sons Dissident, Criterion, Sebring Sun, Gold Standard, Hard Asset and the Widden Stud-based Supido.

He has 12 yearlings catalogued at next month's Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale and 33 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale in April. He also has one lot at each of the Magic Millions Adelaide and Gold Coast March Yearling Sales next month.

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