The third foal out of juvenile winner Sky Castle (Capitalist), who won the Miss Finland 2YO Fillies Handicap on debut, is the mare’s second offspring by G1 Golden Rose Stakes winner Jacquinot, whose first yearlings will hit the sales ring in 2026.
“She’s very typical of the Jacquinot foals, as we have seen with his first crop,” said Widden Stud’s Nominations, Sales and Client Relations Matt Comerford of the filly, who was born in early October. “He’s stamped them all with the spitting image of himself. They’ve got plenty of leg and plenty of quality, and they possess good, attractive heads like himself.
“He’s (Jacquinot) stamped them all with the spitting image of himself.” - Matt Comerford
“They also all have plenty of size and substance about them ultimately, and this foal is out of a smaller Capitalist mare and she has thrown quite a substantial foal this year.”
Matt Comerford | Image courtesy of Inglis
It’s the same type as the Jacquinot produced in his first year, and the Widden team are pleased to see a repeat with his second crop this spring.
“They're all quite forward types, which I suppose you can expect a little bit with him,” said Comerford. “He did run third in the Blue Diamond and he was unlucky in the race. So you expect an early, sharp looking type of horse, and that’s what he has delivered.”
A match that has worked
The filly foal has been bred by Bert Vieira, also the breeder of Jacquinot’s roster mates Trapeze Artist and Sweet Ride as well as Sky Castle herself, plus her dam Fawcett (Stratum) - who is a half-sister to Trapeze Artist himself. Sky Castle produced a colt by Jacquinot last season, after a maiden foal by Portland Sky. The mating choice was a little outside of Vieira’s normal decision-making, but for good reason.
Jacquinot x Sky Castle filly | Born at Widden Stud
“Bert doesn’t often stray too far from his own stallions, but on the back of last year’s foal, it was a no-brainer to send her back to Jacquinot,” Comerford said.
“On the back of last year’s foal, it was a no-brainer to send her (Sky Castle) back to Jacquinot." - Matt Comerford
“Capitalist tends to produce these neat, fast, early running 2-year-old types of horses, and by mating Jacquinot to them, he adds a little more leg and a bit more scope, so it complements the mare quite well. As a result, the foal is just typical of what he (Jacquinot) produces as far as a quality individual with size and substance.
“The mare has done a very good job. She needed that little bit of size and substance and a touch of quality to her, and she'd got that in abundance from him.”
A sweet date for 2025
Sky Castle will patronise Vieira’s G3 San Domenico Stakes winner Sweet Ride, a son of the pensioned Deep Field, this season as the stallion’s first crop of foals hit the ground.
“To be honest, he’s been a little bit deceptive with us,” Comerford said of the type that the stallion was throwing. “He doesn’t look like a son of Deep Field himself, but his progeny have all thrown back to Deep Field. They're bigger and scopier and not quite as flashy as him, he stamps a lot of bay with a little bit of white.”
Sweet Ride | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Much more in the model of his father, then, as opposed to the chestnut stallion’s more flash appearance. However, it is the quality of his offspring that are doing the talking at Widden.
“We were probably a little bit reserved about sending a neater Capitalist mare to him, but on the back of what we've seen early in the season from a few of Bert's other mares, we're happy to roll the dice on this mating,” Comerford said. “We have about 20 of his foals on the farm, and maybe 25% of them have the bling, the 75% are a bit more refined.
“We were probably a little bit reserved about sending a neater Capitalist mare to him (Sweet Ride) but on the back of what we've seen early in the season from a few of Bert's other mares, we're happy to roll the dice on this mating.” - Matt Comerford
“But the most important thing about it is they've all got a heap of leg, and they're actually pretty sizable and well put together.”
Excitement for the sales season ahead
As Jacquinot’s first crop of yearlings begin their preparations for the 2026 sales circuit, Comerford was pleased to describe their development as ‘exceptional’. The sire has 25 catalogued for the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January, followed by a contingent of 18 heading to the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale in February.
From the handful of Jacquinot weanlings offered last season, there was a wealth of attention for his colts, with one selling for $140,000 to Western Australian trainer Luke Fernie and another selling for $125,000 to Bleakley Bloodstock - a tidy return off of a $33,000 inc GST service fee in the stallion's first year at stud.
Jacquinot | Standing at Widden Stud
“We couldn't be more pleased with how they've progressed,” Comerford said. “I think he’s the second most represented first season sire at Magics after Anamoe. We’ve got six or seven in Book 1 that could have gone to any sale, and we have another six or seven at home that probably could have gone to the Gold Coast as well.
“They look like their old man, they carry themselves well and cover a lot of ground, and they’re going to have great attitudes. I think they are going to be great trainers’ and syndictors’ horses. I think we’ll certainly see a lot of interest in them from buyers going forward, and there are plenty of breeders spruiking their first crop Jacquinots, which is a nice surprise.
“They (Jacquinot's yearlings) look like their old man, they carry themselves well and cover a lot of ground, and they’re going to have great attitudes.” - Matt Comerford
“We have seen plenty of them around the traps and we have been in touch with a lot of breeders who have bred back to him, and it’s no wonder why they have done that.”
The tactic has certainly paid off for Vieira with Sky Castle’s 2025 filly - all that remains is to see how her older full brother can measure up in the ring.
