Widden revel in early success for Supido as Zoustar amasses three-year-olds for title challenge
Widden Stud celebrated a first stakes success for young sire Supido (Sebring) on Saturday, a victory that will likely result in the stallion’s fifth book of mares this year rising to around the 150 mark.
The Matt Smith-trained Buenos Noches, redirected to the Flemington straight for the Poseidon Stakes (Listed, 1100m) after finishing sixth in the San Domenico Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) at Rosehill a fortnight ago, earned his victory on Saturday in the stewards’ room having been second past the post behind the wandering Spacewalk (Exosphere).
“It’s a really good time of the year for our stallions to be performing well,” Widden’s Matt Comerford said yesterday.
“Matt [Smith] spoke at our open day last week and said this colt was a serious horse. It was a good win yesterday and I don’t think anyone could begrudge the decision, he would have certainly won had he been able to hold his true line.”
The victory sees Supido become the first second-season sire to post a stakes win for the new season, with Buenos Noches, one of a trio of high–class horses in contention for black-type features this spring.
The Danny O’Brien-trained Stupendo finished seventh in the same race, while authoritative maiden winner What You Need will jump out at Cranbourne this morning, with his trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr eyeing a Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) campaign, a path that Buenos Noches could also tread, with the colts on the first and third lines of betting respectively, at $8 and $11.
“We had Buenos Noches down as a Caulfield Guineas horse and I think we might have got it wrong, and he’s going to the Coolmore and down the straight again, all being good and well.
“To have the equal favourite for the Coolmore and Buenos Noches on the third line, it’s bloody exciting.
“Supido is the fastest son of Sebring and he’s shown that time and time again, we’re not surprised to see what they’re doing, especially now that they’ve turned three.”
Victory for Buenos Noches headlined a successful day for Widden stallions on Saturday. Supido’s late sire Sebring (More Than Ready) notched a 78th individual stakes winner through talented filly Nanagui in the Cap D’Antibes Stakes (Listed, 1100m) at Flemington, while roster leader Zoustar (Northern Meteor) was represented with Group 2 success in the Theo Marks Stakes (1400m) for the Chris Waller-trained Kiku, who will now target the Epsom Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) on October 1.
Kiku, with earnings of $554,700, was Zoustar’s highest earner last season, with the stallion finishing eighth on the general sires table, $7.3 million shy of champion I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit).
However, Kiku’s victory at Rosehill on Saturday delivered a third stakes winner of the new season for Zoustar, the first stallion, along with Rubick (Encosta De Lago), to reach the milestone this campaign. He sits second on the general sires’ list, $50,000 behind Snitzel.
Although failing to sire a winner in any of the three-year-old stakes races on Saturday, it is this generation of Zoustar’s progeny that Widden will look towards to propel the stallion within sight of a maiden championship sire title.
Zoustar’s current three-year-olds were conceived off a fee of $60,500 (inc GST), with his as yet unseen two-year-olds bred from a rise in fee to $154,000 (inc GST). Zoustar again stood at that fee in 2021, before a rise to $198,000 (inc GST) this year.
With 176 three-year-olds on the ground, Zoustar is commanding a widespread presence in this season’s leading stakes contests for the age group, with more runners than any other stallion.
At this early stage of the season, Zoustar has had 12 individual three-year-olds contest black-type races in Australia, one more than Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice), with the pair clear of the remainder.
Zoustar also leads by stakes winners and performers among three-year-olds so far this season, with Princess Series winners North Star Lass and Zougotcha leading the way, ahead of stakes placegetters C’Est Magique, Millane and Zou Sensation, while Ringmaster and He’s Heaven have fourth-placed finishes at stakes level.
Snitzel, last season’s leading sire of three-year-olds by winners (68) and stakes winners (8), has Rosebud Stakes (Listed, 1100m) winner Zoukerino among four black type three-year-olds this campaign.
“He’ll be right up there, as he has been the last couple of years. There’s a lot of good three-year-olds for Zoustar coming through, but it’s his established horses, such as Kiku who went enormous on Saturday, that will see him compete at that high level,” Comerford said.
“He needs a horse or two to go on and score a big win for him, there’s no doubt about that, and Kiku could be that horse for him.
“We’re not getting ahead of ourselves, but we’re certainly very excited by his prospects this season.”