Spywire Magic Millions bound as Widden boys kick goals

Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions

Last Saturday, the smart colt Spywire burst into calculations for this coming Saturday’s $3 million R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic with a dominant victory in the Aquis Gold Nugget. The success continued the strong start made by his Widden Stud-based sire Trapeze Artist.

The son of Snitzel has been one of the leading lights in a strong intake of second-season sires. During the spring, the four-time Group 1 winner sired his maiden Group 1 victor when Griff scored the sire-making Caulfield Guineas.

Trapeze Artist now has a superb chance in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic, and a victory would no doubt underline his versatility as a sire. Trapeze Artist has sired 28 individual winners of 35 races from 75 runners.

Widden Stud’s nominations, sales and client relations, Matt Comerford, expects the strong start made by Trapeze Artist to only continue as his first crop heads into their autumn 3-year-old season.

“It’s been good timing with Spywire winning yesterday (Saturday). Trapeze Artist has really started to build momentum and has had a lot of good winners. We (Widden Stud) are not surprised; we have always believed in Trapeze Artist and had an idea of how the next six months would play out.

“It’s been an exhilarating time for Widden, Bert, Gai and the Vieira family. The success justifies what we felt his progeny has always shown us. Trapeze Artist has been shown to be versatile like his sire Snitzel, and arguably, he stamps himself as one, if not the best, son of Snitzel.

“He’s got a bright future ahead of him, and for such a young stallion to do the job so quickly is exceptional. We’ve seen the depth and strength of his sire crop and many horses doing a good job. Trapeze Artist has undoubtedly gone to another level.

“We see a certain number of 2-year-olds race from each crop, which is always exciting, and the marketplace does influence that. You might only see 25 to 30 per cent of an entire crop race at two, so it’s not until they get to their 3-year-old year that they step up, and you see a lot more exposure.”

Trapeze Artist has 21 yearlings catalogued in the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, with 12 to be offered in Widden Stud’s 77-lot draft.

The first of 21 lots for the son of Snitzel to be offered through is Lot 155, a filly offered by Lucas Bloodstock from the Group 2-winning mare Sendanzer (Sebring) on Tuesday, January 9.

Spywire impressive on the Coast

Spywire graduated from Widden Stud’s 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft. He was purchased by Ciaron Maher Bloodstock and Group 1 Bloodstock (FBAA) for $520,000.

Reflecting on the colt as a yearling, Comerford told TTR AusNZ, “Spywire was a lovely, well-balanced yearling. He was hard not to love.

“Spywire was exceptional in how he went about things and presented himself. He also had a bit of his old man about him, which is good. His dam, Secret Trail, was a mare we took a fair punt on with Trapeze Artist being in his second season.

“Secret Trail was a really expensive mare ($700,000) we bought with Robert Anderson and Ciaron, and the team rewarded us. They got behind Spywire, paying $520,000, and thankfully asked us to stay in after the fact, which has added to the excitement with him heading towards the Magic Millions race on Saturday.”

Not the only sire kicking goals

Trapeze Artist isn’t the only in-form stallion on the Widden roster. The outstanding Zoustar had a breakout season. His son, Ozzmosis, emulated his sire with a barnstorming victory in the G1 Coolmore Stud S., and his daughter, Joliestar, was peerless in the G1 Thousand Guineas.

Meanwhile, in the Northern Hemisphere, his Group 1-winning daughter Lezoo (GB) sold for 2.2 million gns (AU$4.2 million) at the 2023 Tattersalls December Mares Sale to Narvick International.

“It’s been another breakout year for Zoustar. He just continues to tick boxes and build momentum. He is putting himself in a very elite category going forward.

“We have a good and strong lineup of yearlings by Zoustar at Magic Millions alongside the 12 Trapeze Artists and the other young horses we’ve got coming through. However, Zoustar has had a couple of Group 1 winners during the spring and continued success in the Northern Hemisphere. Overnight in America, he had a nice winner named Lunar Impact, who was purchased in partnership with Boomer Bloodstock (FBAA), David Redvers and Qatar Racing.

“Zoustar just continues to kick goals as you would expect with the support he’s received.”

Widden Stud is parading a draft of 77 yearlings, alongside the 12 Trapeze Artists is 11 Zoustars. At the same time, Widden Stud is represented by their first-season sires Anders, Russian Camelot (Ire) and Doubtland.

“We have 45 lots in Book 1 and another 25 in Book 2. It’s a huge number, but we’re excited about the quality of the horses we are presenting. I know it’s cliche, but there’s something for everyone. We have an excellent depth of lots across both books, and it’s been flat out, which is great. The buyers continue to come back, filling us with confidence that we’ve got the right horses come sale time.”

New boys

It’s an exciting time for Widden Stud, with the first yearlings by Anders, Russian Camelot, Doubtland, and Dirty Work to be offered at auction. Alongside the recent recruit Jacquinot covering a class book of 154 mares in her debut season.

“It’s been tough to split the new boys. I’ve been around the grounds with the team, and we’ve looked at all the horses by stallions on the farm. You’ve got the precocious horses like Anders and Doubtland.

“Dirty Work was a fast son of Written Tycoon and Russian Camelot, who has fewer numbers here, but there are some quality offerings amongst them.

Gallery: Widden Stud's sires with their first yearlings to be offered at auction in 2024

“We’ve got a lovely colt by Anders (Lot 631) and one by Doutbland (Lot 832), while we have a beautiful Russian Camelot filly (Lot 586) in our draft. There’s some great depth, and we’re conscious of supporting these stallions, bringing the right horse to the Magic Millions, and getting the boys off to a really good start, which is exactly what we plan to do here next week.”

Lot 631 from the first crop of Anders, a son of Not A Single Doubt, who claimed the G3 San Domenico S. and the Listed The Rosebud.

A stunning chestnut like his father, he is the first foal from the Toorak Toff mare En Aval. She hails from the G2 Challenge S. victress Villa Verde’s (Not A Single Doubt) family. She won the Listed Debutant S. and placed in the G1 The Galaxy and the G2 Reisling S.

Furthermore, Lot 631 is also related to Widden Stud’s first-season sire Doubtland, a $1.1 million yearling and G2 Danehill S. winner.

“Lot 631 is the spitting image of Anders. He’s a beautiful colt. Big, strong and powerful. The colt is related to our very own Doubtland,” Comerford said.

Lot 832 a colt by the aforementioned Doubtland is the third foal La Chica Bella, a daughter of Host (Chi). She won six races and is from the family of the G3 Honeybee S. victress Chocolate Kisses (USA) (Candy Ride {Arg}).

“The Doubtland is a really lovely colt. He had a half-brother, Kaytee Attractive, trial impressively at Ballina on Friday.”

Russian Camelot turned heads on the track. Trained by Danny O’Brien, the handsome son of Camelot (Ire) won twice at the elite level and was placed in The All-Star Mile. His first crop yearlings will be offered at the Magic Millions Sale, and Comerford is pleased by what he sees from Lot 586 from the sire.

The filly is from Dinkum Diamond (Keep The Faith), a winner of three races and twice at two from only six starts. She won the G3 Jansz S. and was placed in the Listed Dequetteville S.

Dinkum Diamond is the dam of Graff, a victor of the G2 Caulfield Sprint and placegetter in the G1 Golden Rose S. The son of Widden Stud’s Star Witness also finished fourth in the G1 Newmarket H. and the G1 Lightning S.

“Lot 586 is a really well-related filly by Russian Camelot. She’s just a lovely filly.”