Cover image courtesy of Widden Stud
Widden Stud coming down to Victoria is very exciting for the state and obviously gives Victoria a fresh boost. I had a chat with a few Victorian breeders when they first setup down here and we all agreed their presence here is keeping everybody else to a good level, and that is not to say they weren’t before, it just creates that bit more healthy competition.
Victorian breeding is currently in very good shape, with Darley, Swettenham, Rosemont and Yulong and to have another one down here like Widden Stud just keeps raising the bar, which is great to see.
Russian Camelot is just outstanding, such a stunning horse. I saw him last year and after seeing him again this year, he has let down even better again. He was a serious racehorse and he was the eye-catcher for sure. He has got a lot of substance about him and he is an imposing type of stallion, a very exciting option to have standing in Victoria.
Gallery: Some images from the Widden Victoria stallion parade, images courtesy of Widden Stud
I saw Gold Standard quite a few years ago when he first started standing at Spendthrift and I absolutely loved him. We have had quite a few on the farm in the past and there has been absolutely nothing wrong with them, they have all been nice types. He is just a stamp of his father, if you are looking at Sebring and then looking at him, you can't pick out many differences. His statistics are also amazing, so I think there is definitely more to come from him this season.
David Moodie and Ash Hardwick taking over Spendthrift and now running the stallion as Hesket Thoroughbreds and standing them at Widden, that’s a great combination of people. David and Ash have been absolutely huge for Victoria, they are two very well-known, respected names and excellent breeders.
I have worked closely with them in the past and have a lot of time for them and their breeding and for them to be able to keep these stallions in Victoria is so impressive. But, being able to stand them at Widden, who will be able to ensure these stallions are supported with good mares and by good breeders is another huge result.
Ryan Arnel | Image courtesy of Inglis
Dirty Work himself was a very popular horse last year and looks to be the same this year and judging by what people have been saying about him, he will cover just as good a book in his second season as he did in his first. Spendthrift supported him with some of their best mares and he is an exciting horse who I think is to going to have a lot of opportunities.
