Widden success story Zoustar headlines two-state roster at A$198,000

Zoustar will stand for an increased fee of A$198,000 (£117,000/€135,000) on the back of sustained racetrack and sales ring success and he is the headline act of Widden Stud’s two-state, 17-strong stallion roster in 2022.

The historic family-owned Widden Stud has confirmed its line-up in which its pin-up stallion Zoustar has had his fee 2021 boosted from A$154,000, while young Hunter Valley-based barnmates Written By and Zousain have also earned small fee increases for the upcoming breeding season.

The consistent Victorian stalwart Magnus, who stands at Widden’s southern base after principal Antony Thompson took over the operation formerly run by Sun Stud early last year, has also earned a minor fee increase this year.

Zoustar, who reverse shuttles to Tweenhills in the UK, is the sire of 27 individual stakes winners and he has produced nine already this season including juvenile stakes winners Brereton and Millane, as well as the stakes-placed two-year-old colt Philosopher.

His yearlings have averaged A$435,703 in Australia this year, helped in part by a decade-high price of A$3 million paid last week for the Widden-bred and sold brother to champion filly Sunlight at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Two other Zoustar yearlings also sold for A$1m or more last week in Sydney, his best-bred crop of yearlings to date.

The Zoustar yearling brother to Sunlight who sold for A$3m last weekCredit: Inglis

Thompson on Wednesday night revealed that Zoustar would have his workload carefully managed again this year, with his mare numbers to be capped to around 160, the fewest he will have covered since his second season in 2015 (he covered 161 in 2020).

“This season Zoustar has had some lovely stakes winners, been beaten a nose in a couple of Group 1s, and he has some really nice horses coming through and the major commercial breeders see him as a very significant stallion in the future,” Thompson told ANZ Bloodstock News.

“As he is shuttling, we are quite keen to limit his book to around 160, so that is part of the reason for the increase, although I am sure he will still be well over subscribed.

“Breeders are looking for blue-chip proven sires and obviously Zoustar comes up on that list very highly. He is a lovely horse to mate to given the type of yearlings he throws and how commercial he is, so all those things add to his appeal.”

His son, the Group 2 winner and multiple Group 1-placed sprinter Zousain, whose first crop foals will be seen at the upcoming Australian weanling sales in NSW, Queensland and Victoria, has also had his fee increased, from A$19,800 to A$22,000, on the back of his popularity with breeders.

Zousain covered 188 mares in his first year and an increased book of 214 mares last year, such was the impression his first-crop foals left with many breeders who supported him in 2020.

Russian Camelot will stand for an unchanged fee at Widden's Victorian baseCredit: Widden Stud

At Widden's Victorian farm, Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner National Defense, who was forced to remain in Australia and not return to the Irish National Stud for the current northern hemisphere breeding season due to injury, will stand for a fee of A$7,700, down from A$9,900 last season.

Russian Camelot, the northern hemisphere-bred dual Australian Group 1 winner by Camelot, is also part of the roster at Widden's Victorian base. The South Australian Derby and Underwood Stakes winner has had his fee held at A$22,000 for his second season.

Widden Stud roster

StallionSire 2022 fee2021 fee

Hunter Valley

Zoustar (Northern Meteor) A$198,000 A$154,000

Trapeze Artist (Snitzel) A$55,000 A$66,000

Rebel Dane (California Dane) A$27,500 A$8,800

Portland Sky (Deep Field) A$27,500new

Written By (Written Tycoon) A$27,500 A$24,750

Zousain (Zoustar) A$22,000 A$19,800

Anders (Not A Single Doubt) A$16,500unchanged

Supido (Sebring) A$8,800unchanged

Stratum Star (Stratum) A$5,500 A$8,800

Victoria

Nicconi (Bianconi) A$22,000 A$27,500

Russian Camelot (Camelot) A$22,000unchanged

Doubtland (Not A Single Doubt) A$16,500unchanged

Star Witness (Starcraft) A$14,300 A$16,500

Magnus (Flying Spur) A$16,500 A$15,400

Fiorente (Monsun) A$9,900 A$11,000

National Defense (Invincible Spirit) A$7,700 A$9,900

Thronum (Snitzel) A$7,700unchanged

*all fees inc GST

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