The iconic 157-year oldWidden Stud is home to some of the country’s most influential sires, including Zoustar, Trapeze Artist, Nicconi, Star Witness, Written-By, Stratum Star, Supido, Outreach and Your Song. Widden has also consigned Group 1 winners and champions like Sunlight, Dissident, Star Turn, Graff Livendi, Whobegotyou through the sales.
The Thompson family have owned and managed Widden since it’s inception in 1867. Widden kicks off 2020 with the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where their draft is one of the largest. The Impact’s Publisher Pallavi Shevadecaught up with stud owner Antony Thompson at the farm just before the busy sales season:
Q: You have quite a large draft. Could you please tell us a bit more about your draft highlights?
A: We have a number of impressive yearlings by our Champion young sire, Zoustar. We also have some very nice horses by champions Sebring and FastnetRock and I Am Invincible. We also have a lovely colt by our new first season sire Stratum Star out of Bisutti who is a three-quarter sister to Absolute Flirtwho has already had 2 wins at 2 at 1000m&1050m and won A$217,025, in 2018-19.
Q: Widden sells their yearlings at several sales. How do you decide which top-quality yearlings are worthy of being sold at the Magic Millions’ Gold Coast Yearling Sale?
A: Magic Millions is a great way to sell very precious 2YOs and stand out early foals. Well developed, strong yearlings sell well. We also use it to showcase nice examples of First Crop Sires.
Q: Could you tell us more about the horse which was a top seller for you at the last edition of this sale.
A: Last year we sold a very nice Medaglia D'Oro colt out of Peggy Jean to Asian Bloodstock Services for A$1,000,000. He was a grand colt but being lot 10 it was early in the sale and very nervous time for us. We hope that this year the sales are as healthy and we can sell all the yearlings we offer at this sale.
Q: What are your goals for Widden and have they changed over the years?
A: No I think our goals are consistent, Australia breeds some of the best sprinters in the world and we have been focused on this. We have achieved some of our goals in recent years breeding a Horse of the Year and a Champion 3yo Filly and Zoustar’s success has been very satisfying. As a business, we want to continue to breed good horses and keep improving the quality of our broodmare band and stallions.
Q: And finally given the drought conditions recently and the bush fires in NSW, what advice would you give?
A: The Thomson family has been running this farm for over 150 years. During that time there have been countless floods, fires and droughts. There is nothing that can be done to stop or change a drought or flood from happening. But we can try to understand it, be prepared and put the right precautions in place.
Published In The Impact 16 Issue, 2 Vol
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