Prepared throughout his racing days by trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Anders shot to fame with a series of four consecutive wins last year that culminated with commanding victories in the Listed ATC Rosebud and G3 San Domenico S.
“Now pensioned from stud duties, Not a Single Doubt has been a magnificent stallion for a long period,” said Widden Stud’s Antony Thompson. “He rose from a fee of just $13,750 as a modest Listed winner on the track to being one of the best stallions in the country, and we believe Anders has the right attributes to follow in his footsteps.”
A dual winner as a juvenile, Anders made his 3-year-old debut in the Rosebud and produced a high-speed performance to lead all the way and account for subsequent dual Group I winner Ole Kirk (Written Tycoon) by 4.75l.
“He was very impressive. He’s a beautiful animal, the shoulder, the neck on him, he’s a proper horse. I knew he was serious when I trialled him as an early 2-year-old,” successful rider Jason Collett said.
David Eustace, who prepared Anders with Ciaron Maher, said the colt had impressed the stable from day one.
“We had a really big opinion of him. He was fast out of the gates, he’s got a really high cruising speed and he can quicken off that. There’s no need to stretch him out. Everyone wants speed and we genuinely thought he was of Group 1 ability.
“Undoubtedly, he is the fastest racehorse I have ever trained. Anders was an incredibly natural athlete with undeniable untapped ability. A crying shame we did not get to see more of him on the racetrack.”
“Undoubtedly, he (Anders) is the fastest racehorse I have ever trained. Anders was an incredibly natural athlete with undeniable untapped ability." - David Eustace
Thompson said the colt was a stable favourite during his career.
“He’s been incredibly popular in the stable,” the studmaster said. “Annabel Neasham spent a lot of time with him and says he’s her favourite, and David and Ciaron think the world of him.”
Anders returned to Rosehill for the San Domenico S. and relished a Good surface to showcase his natural brilliance in accounting for subsequent multiple Group 2 winner Peltzer (So You Think {NZ}) by 3.25l. The colt carved out the 1100 metres dash in a blistering 1:02.67s, setting a race record and only narrowly missing the track-record set in 2007.
“He has such a powerful action and loves using himself. He is a very quick horse,” winning rider James McDonald said that day.
James McDonald
Blisteringly fast
Anders was installed a short-priced pre-race favourite for the G1 Moir S. at Moonee Valley before illness derailed his spring campaign, and subsequently resulted in his announced retirement. It followed a number of notable retirements in recent weeks.
“Anders will be at a different price point to some of the high-profile horses that have retired recently,” Thompson said. “But also, he really stands out as the exceptional speed horse. He was just blisteringly fast. He ran into Ole Kirk (in the Listed Rosebud) and beat him over some of those sprint trips, so that’s just one example. Without comparing him to others, he is a brilliant physical and speed horse and, by Not A Single Doubt, who’s been so popular, Anders will be a real standout.”
Thompson added that the colt is an uncomplicated asset to the roster.
“He will suit a lot of our mares, and we’ll make sure we keep buying great mares to ensure he gets great support. There’s a fantastic group of shareholders in him, many of whom are great breeders, so he’ll be supported. Widden’s success has, for a long time, been built on acquiring the speed horses, and Anders is certainly that.”
“He (Anders) will suit a lot of our mares, and we’ll make sure we keep buying great mares to ensure he gets great support. There’s a fantastic group of shareholders in him, many of whom are great breeders, so he’ll be supported." - Antony Thompson
Bred by Arrowfield Stud, Anders was a $670,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase, the highest-priced colt by his sire at the 2019 auction.
The colt is a son of the unraced War Emblem (USA) mare Madame Andree, who is from the Group-winning North American family of Exciting Story (USA) (Diablo {USA}), Strong Memory (USA) (End Sweep {USA}) and Sweeping Paddy (USA) (Paddy O’Prado {USA}).
Anders as a yearling | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Scone trainer Paul Messara knows the dam well.
“She was a horse that seemed to have unlimited ability,” he said. “I had her at the same time as I was training (three-time Group 1 winner) Ortensia, and I thought she was going to be an absolute star. She did a couple of pieces of work with Ortensia and she was an absolute freak of a thing.”
Messara added that Anders was an exceptional offshoot of his dam.
“He was an absolutely beautiful type, and outstanding in the yearling sales ring,” he said.
Anders will stand at Widden Stud in the Hunter Valley at a fee of $16,500 (inc GST), and a limited number of lifetime breeding rights will be available.
