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Progeny Of Young Widden Sires Look Good Investments At Scone

24th Apr 2015

Uniquely, the Widden Stud in the Widden Valley, a spur off the south western end of the Hunter Valley, has two young sires in its historic stallion yards shaping up very good winner-getters who were not only brilliant Group 1 winning Australian racehorses, but also performers who turned in good efforts in one of England’s most prestigious sprints, the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot.

Both strongly represented in the 209 lot catalogue put together for the 2015 edition of the Inglis Hunter Valley Thoroughbred Breeders Scone Yearling Sale scheduled for Sunday May 17, the horses are Star Witness (pictured) (2007, Starcraft – Leone Chiara, by Lion Hunter) and Nicconi (2005, Bianconi (USA) (Danzig) – Nicola Lass, by Scenic (Ire).

A showy powerful looking chestnut who was an Australian champion at two and three, Star Witness followed up wins in Melbourne in the Blue Diamond and Ascot Vale and a second to Black Caviar in the Patinack Classic with two grand efforts in a space of five days at Royal Ascot, a half length second in the King’s Stand and then a third in the Golden Jubilee.

The year before had seen Nicconi tackle one of these Royal Ascot sprints, the King’s Stand, finishing a 2 1/2 lengths fourth to Equiano (shuttles to Swettenham,Victoria) after being checked two furlongs out.

Nicconi was sent out second favourite for the King’s Stand, respect earned from his Australian performances. A champion Australian 3YO sprinter, he included in his efforts wins in the Lightning (Flemington) and Galaxy (Randwick), a third in the Manikato (Moonee Valley) and fourths in the Australian Guineas (Flemington) and TJ Smith (Randwick).

His oldest progeny are 3-year-olds and he looks set to be a prolific source of winners. He supplied nine first crop 2-year-old winners in 2013-14 (one of them in New Zealand) and is currently Australia’s second top two crop sire by winners and fifth by earnings. His latest statistics for the year, including a handful of overseas runners, are 36 winners, 27 placed and $1,552,239.

His first crop include Chill Party (4 wins, MVRC Alister Clarke Stakes-Gr.2, Listed second), Nicoscene (3 wins Moonee Valley, Group 3 third), Loved Up (12 starts, 5 wins, Albury Guineas, Wagga Country Championship Qualifier, sixth in Country Championship at Randwick), Fusina (won Brisbane, Sunshine Coast), Cherry Vain (two wins major tracks NZ, Group 3 fourth), Festivity (won Sydney twice), Zambezi Diamond (won Moonee Valley), Fidel Astro (Adelaide), Deanna Jean (won Adelaide, fourth Morphettville Guineas), Euchre Star (second and third Melbourne), Birds of Tokyo (second Melbourne), Tuscan Fall (second Sydney), Bulls ‘n’ Bears (second Melbourne) Martine (second Adelaide), Sally’s Mustang (won NZ), Chase (three wins Singapore) and Iconnic (won Singapore).

The younger Widden sire, Star Witness, has stamped himself as a sire of big potential this month with first crop juvenile stakes winners in Sydney and Adelaide.The first of these, the Jason Warren, Mornington trained The Barrister, in March – April has been on second at Mornington, won at Mornington (1500m) and at Randwick, the Listed Fernhill over 1600m, and then at the same track last Saturday , April 18, finished a 1.9 lengths fifth in the Group1 Champagne Stakes (1600m).

The Barrister’s Loss on Saturday was made up for half an hour later when two Star Witness fillies, Pearl Star (trained by Matt Laurie) and Typhoon Witness (Phillip Stokes, Morphettville) provided the quinella in the Listed Dequetteville Stakes (1050m) at Mornington.

The winner, Pearl Star, was the Listed Cinderella at the same course, but Typhoon Witness was running for the first time.

Along with The Barrister, they are among eight black type money earners by Star Witness, the others being Serenade (Michael Moroney, Randwick), a winner by five lengths Canterbury, third Inglis Classic at Randwick, 0.7 lengths fourth Group 2 Magic Night Stakes, Rosehill Gardens, 2.1 lengths seventh Golden Slipper; Meila Maria, South African winner and Group 3 third; Kimberley Star (Gai Waterhouse), two starts, 0.5 lengths third Newcastle, 0.3 lengths second Listed Inglis Nursery at Randwick; Last Witness (Paul Perry, Broadmeadow), three starts, fourth Listed Breeders’ Plate, Randwick on debut; and Coerced Witness (also with Phillip Stokes), two starts, second Gawler, fourth in the Cinderella at Morphettville.

Another Star Witness juvenile, Mr Humphries (Danny O’Brien, Barwon Heads, Victoria), has run twice and has shown promise with a debut second at Morphettville.

Star Witness is second by money on the 2014-15 Australian First Season Sire’s List to the deceased Beneteau, but is the most successful by black type earners.The quality of his early runners adds to the appeal of the nine lots (four in the Widden consignment) he has in the catalogue for the Scone Yearling.

It is a catalogue very strong in offspring by Widden sires, the others being Nicconi (8), Snippetson (10), Tickets (11 from his second crop) and Dreamscape (2).

Other sires with three or more lots are Ad Valorem (USA) (5), Artie Schiller (USA) (3), Benfica (3), Congrats (USA) (8), Dream Ahead (USA) (4), Dubleo (USA) (3), Duporth (5), Eavesdropper (5), Excites (4), Foxwedge (3), Haradasun (4), Hinchinbrook (6), I Am Invincible (4), Magic Albert (6), Manhattan Rain (3), Myboycharlie (Ire), Onemorenomore (6), Pluck (USA) (10), Stryker (4) and Zoffany (Ire) (3).

Biggest vendors are Amarina Farm (13), Ambergate (15 – six for Kanangra), Arrowfield (9), Edinglassie (7), Emirates Park (10), Evergreen Farm (6), Gainsborough Lodge (4), Glastonbury Farms (4), Gooree Park (7), Lincoln Farm (3), Marquee (4), Middlebrook Valley Lodge (8), Neila Thoroughbreds (5), Riversdale (5), Robrick Lodge (7), Ruane (3), Sefton Park (5), Sledmere (5), Toolooganvale (9), Torryburn (6), Vinery (19), Werai Park(5), Widden (16) and Yarraman Park (7).

The quality of the annual Scone catalogue has climbed considerably in recent years and it will not surprise if the high mark at this year’s sale is above $100,000, but overall most of the yearlings are likely to sell at $20,000 or less.

All are eligible for the $5million Inglis Race Series, one embracing 2yos, 3yos and 4yos. Races include a including the Inglis Nursery (boosted to $500,000), the Scone Guineas ($400,000), Scone 2YO Challenge ($100,000) and new $250,000 3YO sprints in New South Wales and Victoria.