Speedster Anders retired to stand at Widden Stud
Anders, a son of the highly sought after but now pensioned sire Not A Single Doubt (Redoute’s Choice) and the fastest horse Ciaron Maher says he has trained, has been retired to Widden Stud to stand his first season for 2021.
Antony Thompson, who was yesterday attempting to mitigate damage caused by flooding and a power outage at his historic Widden Stud property, last night confirmed the Group 3-winning sprinter had run his last race.
He will stand for an introductory fee of $16,500 (inc GST).
“Obviously Not A Single Doubt has had a huge impact and his legacy continues to grow, so to have that very fast son of Not A Single Doubt, I am sure he will be a popular addition to our line-up,” Thompson told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“He is a smashing type of horse. He does have all the characteristics that Not A Single Doubt has really become so renowned for: that lovely forearm and gaskin and a big, round, powerful hindquarter, so I am sure he will be a real ‘look and book’ stallion.
“He possesses all that speed which is highly commercial and sought after and he has really deep, international parts to his pedigree as well.”
Anders, who raced as an early season two-year-old in NSW and Queensland, won two of his three starts in a three-start late autumn juvenile preparation, before displaying blistering speed on his return at three, claiming the Rosebud (Listed, 1100m) and San Domenico Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) in August.
Those performances led to Thompson chasing Anders, considered by many pundits to have the following month’s A J Moir Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) at Moonee Valley at his mercy, as a stallion prospect.
From there, things went awry, with an elevated temperature ruling him out of the Moir, for which he was the short-priced pre-post favourite, before an attempt was made to resurrect his spring campaign in the Blue Sapphire Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) and Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), finishing a close-up third of three runners in the former, and trailing in last of the 14-runner field in the Group 1 at Flemington.
Anders returned in the New Year with a view to the short-course Group 1 sprint races in Melbourne and Sydney, but he was trapped wide from barrier 17 in the Oakleigh Plate (Gr 1, 1100m) at Caulfield in February and the wet tracks in Sydney led connections to immediately retiring the valuable colt.
“It was very disappointing that he did get sick leading into the Moir and we weren’t able to run him there,” Thompson said.
“We had a few things going against us and we were never really able to get him back from that. Certainly, he wouldn’t be at that fee of $15,000 (excluding GST) if he had gone on to win the Moir.”
But Thompson has not lost confidence in Anders’ credentials as a stud prospect despite the hiccups experienced at the end of his career, believing the rising four-year-old fits the mould of the stallions who have served Widden well over many decades.
He said: “It has been the foundation of the success at the farm. The colonial speed horses have always been very successful and I am sure Anders will fit very nicely into that mould.”
Maher, who trained Anders in partnership with David Eustace, said: “Australian racing is all about speed, strength and temperament, Anders had this in spades.
“He was a naturally talented racehorse and we saw glimpses of his speed and ability in the Listed Rosebud and Group 3 San Domenico. Undoubtedly, he is the fastest racehorse I have ever trained.”
Among those investors to join Widden in buying into Anders for stud duties are Sheriff Iskander, Greenwich Stud’s Greg Perry, Glenlogan Park, Raheen Stud’s Basil Nolan and Louis Mihalyka’s Laurel Oak partnership.
A $670,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate, he was purchased by Aquis Farm and Ciaron Maher Racing from the Arrowfield Stud draft. He is one of three winners for the unraced mare Madame Andree (War Emblem) who is also the dam of the stakes-placed Battleground (Snitzel), himself a high-priced Gold Coast graduate.
A three-quarter sister to Anders by Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) made $800,000 at this year’s Magic Millions auction when bought by agent James Harron, whose colts syndicate also raced Battleground, underlining Madame Andree’s ability to breed highly sought after yearlings, with her four yearlings sold at auction having grossed $2.73 million. She has a 2020 colt by Pariah (Redoute’s Choice) and was put in foal to The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Choice) last year.
Madame Andree’s sire War Emblem (Our Emblem) won the Kentucky Derby (Gr 1, 10f) and Preakness Stakes (Gr 1, 9.5f) in 2002, as did her damsire Sunday Silence (Halo) in 1989.
Not A Single Doubt is represented by the Arrowfield Stud-owned Mallory and Queen Of Wizardry, who races in the colours of Aquis Farm, in Saturday’s Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), while he has reigning Golden Slipper winner Farnan retiring to Kia Ora Stud later this year. He is also the sire of Newgate Farm’s Extreme Choice, who has Stay Inside as a leading hope in Saturday’s $3.5 million two-year-old race.
Another sire son, the Group 2 winner Dubious, who stands at Aquis Farm at Canungra, went to stud in 2020 and he was well supported by breeders, covering 162 mares.
The retirement of Anders continues a busy period for Thompson, who has expanded Widden into Victoria after more than 150 years as a one-farm Hunter Valley operation, with the announcement late last month that the stud would lease the Sun Stud property in the southern state.
Cantala Stakes winner Yulong Prince to take up residency at Nagambie
The South African-bred Yulong Prince (Gimmethegreenlight), a horse with a familiar southern hemisphere pedigree who became the first Australian Group 1 winner for major investor Yuesheng Zhang, has been retired to the Chinese businessman’s growing Victorian stud.
The last-start Cantala Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) winner, who was also a Grade 1 winner in South Africa before coming under Yulong’s ownership, will be one of three first season sires standing at the Nagambie farm.
The rising seven-year-old entire, a four-time winner at two who initially raced as Surcharge, will be joined by Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Tagaloa (Lord Kanaloa) and Zhang’s Phoenix Stakes (Gr 1, 6f)-winning European star Lucky Vega (Lope De Vega).
Yulong Prince’s Group 1 success at Flemington on Victoria Derby day last year, which clinched the horse’s stud future, was a defining moment for Zhang who has developed an extraordinary broodmare band and racing division primarily in Australia as well as China and Europe.
“Yulong Prince had a little knock to his leg so we decided to retire him,” Yulong chief operating officer Sam Fairgray revealed as the reason for the horse missing the autumn.
“Mr Zhang purchased him to win a Group 1 and we have achieved that, so now he can come and join our roster and we’ll support him with some nice mares we’ve got here. He is free of Danehill, he’s by a stallion who is a son of More Than Ready and he is also out of a Canny Lad mare.”
Yulong Prince, who was also campaigned in Dubai after being purchased by Mr Zhang before heading south, was trained by Chris Waller in Australia during a 15-start stint which also netted a victory in the Cup Day Plate (Listed, 1800m) in 2019 at Flemington.
“Yulong Prince was a very impressive horse on two fronts. Firstly, his ability to compete at a high level overseas and then come to Australia and adapt to our conditions of training and racing, once again at the highest level; a great feat not comparable by many,” Waller said.
“Secondly, he was a very good-looking horse with a good attitude, and obviously sound and well performed.”
Yulong Prince’s sire is sprinter-miler Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready), a winner of six races from 1000 metres to 1600 metres. As a two-year-old, he won his first four starts then became the first three-year-old in 42 years to win the Queen’s Plate (Gr 1, 1600m).
He has had a prominent influence in South Africa, being crowned 2016 champion freshman sire and, in 2017, he was the leading second crop sire. In 2018 he was the leading active sire of three-year-olds and he was the leading active sire by stakes winners in 2019.
Gimmethegreenlight, who is out of Yes She Can Cancan (Canny Lad), is also a half-brother to Coolmore Classic (Gr 1, 1500m) winner OfcourseIcan (Mossman), the dam of Bart Cummings (Gr 3, 2400m) winner Persan (Pierro).
Yulong Prince holds an extensive international family which features Gran Criterium (Gr 1,1m) winner Count Dubois (Zafonic), and Irish 2000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) hero Indian Haven (Indian Ridge).
Yulong Prince won at two before excelling at three, winning five of his nine starts during that season, which prompted Mr Zhang to make a compelling offer for the then colt.
He is the best of six winners for Diktat (Warning) mare Congestion Charge who is a three-quarter sister to Royal Ascot Group 3 winner Endorsement (Warning), herself the dam of multiple stakes winner Mores Wells (Sadler’s Wells).
Already at the farm and available for inspection, Yulong Prince is a stunning horse who will appeal to a variety of mares at a yet-to-be-announced “value” service fee, according to Fairgray.
“He’s black, with some white markings. He’ll be an easy horse to mate to and he will suit many mares on type because he’s a nice size – not too big, not too small – and he’s an attractive horse,” he said.
Service fees for Yulong Prince, Tagaloa, Grunt (O’Reilly), Alabama Express (Redoute’s Choice) and Lucky Vega will be announced at a later date.