Widden delight as Belter strikes Gold in Atkins
Stud to review service fee of new stallion recruit Gold Standard after first-crop Group 1 success
Widden Stud is revelling in another Group 1 juvenile success for a recently-acquired young stallion when Sheeza Belter held off all challengers to post a brave success in the JJ Atkins Plate (Gr 1, 1600m) at Eagle Farm yesterday.
The victory provided a significant maiden elite-level winner for first-season sire Gold Standard (Sebring), who was announced as a new addition to the Widden Victoria roster just a fortnight ago, ahead of the filly’s victory in the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) at the Brisbane track.
The historic operation has put a temporary freeze on new nominations to the former Spendthrift Farm stallion, acquired by David Moodie’s Hesket Bloodstock as part of their purchase of Spendthrift’s 244-hectare property earlier this month. An announcement on any further rise in service fee is due to be made tomorrow.
Upon agreeing a deal to stand Gold Standard at Widden, his fee for the 2022 breeding season was set at an increased $8,800 (inc GST).
“It was a great result and this one probably moves the needle the most. For a young stallion to sire a Group 1 winner in his first crop is a massive thing,” Widden Stud principal Antony Thompson told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“At the moment there’s a freeze on any further bookings to the stallion. We have a good number of bookings already and those clients that have made those bookings will have them honoured.
“I think we’ll have a look at it and have a discussion with David Moodie at Hesket Bloodstock and make a decision before an announcement on Monday.
“He was always very well priced at [$8,800] as a promising young stallion, but the game’s changed a bit now, so we’ll take everything into consideration.”
Widden had earlier this year announced the addition of second-season sire Rebel Dane (California Dane) to their New South Wales roster, shortly after his daughter Fireburn won Australia’s crowning juvenile contest, the Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m).
Gold Standard, aided by the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Sheeza Belter’s now $1,441,100 in prize-money earnings this season, has rocketed to within $150,000 of current leading first-season sire Russian Revolution (Snitzel), whose progeny has amassed $1,675,980.
Jumping from barrier nine, the former WA-trained Sheeza Belter was settled in midfield under jockey Willie Pike, while the race favourite and last-start The Phoenix (Listed, 1500m) winner Political Debate (So You Think) had just one horse behind him in the 17-runner field.
Turning for home and Sheeza Belter was presented with clear air in the straight, an opportunity she duly capitalised on to power into a length lead with just 100 metres to run.
That gap proved too much to reel in for the running-on Political Debate, who failed by a long neck having gained second on the bob of the head over Brosnan (Snitzel) in third.
Sheeza Belter became the first filly to win the Queensland Group 1 since New Zealand-bred filly Linky Dink (Keeper) in 2009.
“She’s always been tough and resilient at home, she cops the work. Everything about her suggested she is going to get to that really good level and here we are today,” said co-trainer Paul Snowden.
“We’ll get her out and give her a break on Monday, but she’s got a really good spring ahead of her now.”
Victory for Political Debate, aided by the success of Palaisipan in the closing Dane Ripper Stakes (Gr 2, 1300m), would have sent his sire So You Think (High Chaparral) to the top of the general sire standings. Instead, the Coolmore stallion could only reduce the deficit to I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) to $306,548 in the race to be crowned champion sire.
Golden Standard, a son of former Widden stallion Sebring (More Than Ready) who has two winners within his first crop from five runners, as well as the Listed runner-up Golden Queen, has 109 live foals from his first three crops and covered 25 mares at a fee of $5,500 (inc GST) last season.
Thompson revealed that not many nominations remained to the rising eight-year-old, whose racetrack career was cut short after just six starts and two wins, which included a victory in the Stan Fox Stakes (Gr 2, 1500m).
“He hasn’t covered great numbers so far so we’ll want to tread carefully in that area, and we’re thinking a book of around 150 is as many as we’ll want,” he said.
“When you look at the statistics [of Gold Standard and Rebel Dane], they’re phenomenal, and although it’s off a small sample size, if a stallion can do it off small numbers with moderate mares it gives us enormous confidence that when they see higher-quality mares they’ll do even better. There’s plenty more to come.
“He was obviously a hugely promising horse and lightly raced. He’s a sire that’s a mirror image of his sire Sebring – a stallion that’s close to our heart, and when we saw him that gave us a natural affiliation to him. It’s great to see [Sebring’s] legacy continue on.
Sheeza Belter (2 f Gold Standard – Saxabelle by Saxon), who in three starts for trainer Luke Fernie in Western Australia won the Magic Millions WA 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) at Pinjarra, was a $50,000 buy for part owner Justin Warwick from the draft of her breeders Mt Hallowell Stud at last year’s Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale.
She is the fifth foal and third winner out of two-time WA winner Saxabelle (Saxon), herself a half-sister to Special Kiseki (Special Bond), dam of stakes winners Special Reward (Demerit), Showy Chloe (Alfred Noble) and El Riges (Eternity Range).
Saxabelle has a yearling colt by More Than Ready (Southern Halo) named Heeza Bolter who has been retained by Mt Hallowell Stud.
Alligator delivers 150th Group 1 winner for trailblazer Waterhouse
Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) capped a remarkable resurrection in form to return to the Group 1 winner’s enclosure when striking for victory in the time-honoured Stradbroke Handicap (Gr 1, 1400m) at Eagle Farm yesterday, more than two years after his first elite-level success in the 2020 Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m).
The win for the enigmatic five-year-old delivered a 150th Group 1 success (and her first in the Stradbroke) for his maverick trainer Gai Waterhouse. It comes six months after Alligator Blood was switched to the stable of Hall of Fame inductee Waterhouse and her co-trainer Adrian Bott in a bid to turn around his ailing form, which saw him without a win since his elite-level win at Flemington, when trained by David Vandyke.
“Incredible for Gai and Adrian – 150 Group 1s for Gai now, Adrian and Gai ‘round about 18 or 20 Group 1s,” stable representative Neil Paine told Racing.com.
“Gai’s first Stradbroke [winner] and Alligator Blood back to his best.”
Tim Clark settled Alligator Blood in the second half of the field, but made menacing progress on the outside entering the turn for home.
Circling wide into the centre of the track at the top of the straight, Alligator Blood was set out in pursuit of leader Rothfire (Rothesay), who earned success in the JJ Atkins on this card two years ago. The five-year-old swept past Rothfire at the 100-metre mark and had enough in hand to hold off Private Eye (Al Maher) in the closing stages to record a length margin of victory. Rothfire held on for third, two and three-quarter lengths from the winner, with Isotope (Deep Field) a length further back in fourth.
Alligator Blood, who rose to rapid prominence for previous trainer Vandyke, won nine of his first 11 starts, but was infamously disqualified at the Magic Millions meeting in January 2020 for a failed drugs test.
Having finished second in the Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) in the spring of 2019, Alligator Blood won the Australian Guineas the following autumn, but had failed to win in eight starts thereafter, which included a three-race stint with Sunshine Coast trainer Billy Healey.
However, the horse made a delayed return to action in May, having undergone surgery for Kissing Spine disease, while he was banned from running in New South Wales due to owner Alan Endresz’s undischarged bankruptcy status.
The success was an emotional one for Endresz, whose wife Joy it is believed has just days to live as she fights against bowel cancer.
Tim Clark rode Alligator Blood when runner-up in the BRC Sprint (Gr 3, 1300m) first-up this campaign, and labelled it a ‘special’ performance.
“He began well, but as expected there was a fair bit of tempo and not only did I not have the horse to be in that speed battle, I knew if I attempted to be with them I’d have nothing left at the end,” Clark said.
“So, I was able to slide across back in behind them and it ended up working out lovely. I got the back of [7th placed] Ayrton and that horse took me everywhere I needed to go.
“On straightening, it was a matter of just being patient, letting him build through his gears and I thought all he has to do is find off the bridle.
“He showed a great turn of foot. I haven’t had a lot to do with the horse’s career, but that was a pretty special performance.”
Alligator Blood (5 g All Too Hard – Lake Superior by Encosta De Lago) took his record to ten wins from 20 starts and more than $2.8 million in prize-money.
He is the second winner and final foal of five for the unraced Encosta De Lago (Fairy King) mare Lake Superior, who is a half-sister to Listed winner Cantonese (Redoute’s Choice) as well as the stakes placed Chateau Margaux (Redoute’s Choice) and Monteux (Medaglia D’Oro).
Alligator Blood was a $55,000 buy from Gerry Harvey’s Baramul Stud draft at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.