Cover image courtesy of Widden Stud
At Longchamp on Sunday, a French Group 3 sprint produced a Royal Ascot contender-and gave Australian breeders something to cheer about. Mgheera (GB), a five-year-old daughter of Widden Stud’s Zoustar, bolted clear to win the Prix de Saint-Georges, booking her ticket to one of the world’s most prestigious carnivals and delivering a major milestone for her sire’s growing international reputation.
Royal Ascot has been a mecca for Australian racehorses in recent times and the G1 King's Stand Stakes, last year renamed the King Charles III Stakes, has been particularly good race for the breed from down under.
Choisir so memorably paved the way for Australian horses with his success at big odds in 2003 and since that time we have cheered on Takeover Target (Celtic Swing {GB}), Miss Andretti (Ihtiram {Ire}), Scenic Blast (Scenic {Ire}), Nature Strip (Nicconi) and last year Asfoora (Flying Artie).
It was not until those last two that an Australian winner also had an Australian sire and whilst Asfoora again flies the flag for us this year, we have another horse to cheer on from a different perspective.
That horse being Mgheera (GB) (Zoustar) who made her way into Royal Ascot calculations with an impressive performance at Longchamp on Sunday.
In taking out the Group 3 Prix de Saint-Georges, she became the first Group winner in France for her Widden Stud-based sire who last weekend took the lead from Pride Of Dubai in the local sire chart, with 13 of his 167 winners this season being stakes winners.
Zoustar: world's leading sire
For Zoustar, who was crowned the world’s most prolific sire by winners last season with 501 individual victories, Mgheera’s triumph was another feather in the cap.
“It is always great to see Zoustar do so well overseas,” Widden's Antony Thompson said, pointing out his son Starlust (GB) and his Eclipse Award winning daughter Lezoo (GB) as highlight runners.
The former, winner of the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, heads to Riverstone Lodge this spring whilst the latter won the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket.
Antony Thompson | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
With Qatar Bloodstock's investment into Zoustar, it was planned from the start that he would end up shuttling though he did not immediately head overseas.
“We decided to wait until he had proven himself and had a good profile,” Thompson said.
He certainly did that and Zoustar was warmly welcomed at Tweenhills where breeders were happy to support him.
“He didn't serve a big book that first year as he'd come off a busy Australian season standing at a higher fee so we managed him. But he got good results.”
Zoustar | Standing at Widden Stud
Zoustar has been a good fit for shuttling Thompson said, noting that “he is as kind a stallion as you'd ever come across. He is very sensible and lovely to deal with and you see that in his progeny.
“They are sound, they cope with the rigours of racing and they train on and we are seeing that with Mgheera who is reaching her peak form as a 5-year-old.”
And Mgheera, whose dam is a half-sister to the Group 3 winner Distinctive (GB (Tobougg {Ire}), could further enhance her record with her win on Sunday an impressive one.
Showing pace and a nice turn of foot over the final stages, putting 1.5l on her rivals, she had her trainer Ed Walker excited.
A massive result
“It is a massive result,” he enthused.
“She had been training really, really well and she looks fantastic.”
“Simon Marsh asked me to train her and with her form behind Makarova I was obviously pretty excited to get my hands on her.”
“Simon Marsh asked me to train her (Mgherra) and with her form behind Makarova I was obviously pretty excited to get my hands on her.” - Ed Walker
Makarova (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) having won for the stable last year's G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp.
“We will aim her all the big five furlong sprints now and hopefully we'll have a lot of fun,” he said.
Bred by Tweenhills' David Redvers and Framont Ltd, Mgheera first made her way through the ring at the 2021 Arqana Deauville October Yearling Sale where she fetched €145,000 to the bid of the Mandore International Agency for Al Shaqab Racing.
Mgheera (GB) as a yearling | Image courtesy of Arqana
She raced just three times under that ownership with a Deauville second at her second start her best result and after that campaign she was again offered for sale, picked up by European Bloodstock Management for just €3,500 at the 2023 Arqana Deauville Summer Mixed Sale.
She raced 15 times under their banner, winning four races including the Listed Prix Hampton at Chantilly in June last year.
That stakes success certainly gave her value and it took €250,000 (AU$434,000) for McKeever Bloodstock and William Johnson to secure her at Arqana last year.
Johnson, who has historic family ties to Widden Stud who stood the superstar Vain bred by Walter, Fred, and George Johnson, was up late on Sunday to witness the win of Mgheera.
A pretty easy watch
“It was a pretty easy watch,” he said, excited by the prospect of a return visit to Royal Ascot where he has fond memories of saddling up runners during his stint for the Roger Varian stable where he rose from pupil assistant to assistant trainer.
“Getting to experience Royal Ascot was spectacular,” he said, looking forward to heading back with a different type of experience having teamed with McKeever to purchase Mgheera.
“She was a mare with a big frame,” he recalled, adding that “she had straight hind legs which may have not been to everyone's liking.
Will Johnson | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“But watching her behind the stalls on Sunday I could see that she has really filled out.”
Mgheera was purchased for Lord Lloyd Webber and Arthur Mitchell who race her in partnership and Mitchell was another watching on excitedly from afar on Sunday.
“I was at Deauville, teaming up with Simon Marsh (Watership Down Stud General Manager) to buy her.
“She just looked like a mare with plenty of upside in regards to racing and a nice broodmare prospect long term so we decided to have a crack.”
A Too Darn Hot future
With a long term plan of sending Mgheera to Watership Downs' star Too Darn Hot (GB), the hope was to further increase her value with Ed Walker such a “good trainer with sprinters.”
Too Darn Hot (GB) | Standing at Darley
And it was a dream start for the new ownership group with Mgheera's success her first for the stable.
“So far it has all gone swimmingly,” Mitchell said, on a high having also enjoyed local stakes success with a Zoustar mare on the weekend, the Tony Gollan-trained Floozie taking out the Listed Silk Stocking Stakes at the Gold Coast.
A private purchase from her breeder Robert Crabtree, Floozie has been in flying form for her new trainer, this latest win her third from as many starts.
Mitchell, who has earmarked Floozie as a future mate for Yarraman's star I Am Invincible, is a fan of her pedigree having been the underbidder last Thursday on her G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winning dam Catchy (Fastnet Rock) who Glenvale Stud purchased for $800,000 in foal to Capitalist.
An I Am Invincible/Catchy mating has things in common with Mgheera who is by Zoustar out of a mare by Vinnie's sire Invincible Spirit (Ire).
And Mgheera also has ties of sorts with Nature Strip, also by a Widden stallion in Nicconi. Antony Thompson was on course when he won at Royal Ascot, enjoying “a very memorable, fantastic day.”
Something he hopes to replicate when heads back next month, making up a team of Mgheera supporters from down under.
