It’s the sort of result we all dream of. In February, a 5YO by the name of Ashman was sold for $27,500 via the Inglis Online Sale.
The sprinter/miler had compiled a handy record of seven wins and some $150,000 in earnings – including a 3-length victory at Doomben – but appears to have grown another leg since his shift to Kim Waugh’s Wyong stables.
Among five starts for Waugh, Ashman led throughout to score at Randwick carrying 59.5kgs on the final day of the 2020/21 season and, last Friday, put in another blinder to capture his first stakes victory in the Group 3 Cameron Handicap over 1500m at Newcastle.
That $27,500 has been converted to $142,850 in the space of seven months.
But it wasn’t just the owners keen to pop a cork. The crew at Widden Victoria were fairly buoyed by the result too as the farm’s standard-bearer for a number of seasons had just notched up his 23rd individual black type winner.
“He (Magnus) has been such a good stallion for a long time,” Widden Victoria’s Adam Henry enthused. “Magnus has had Group 1 success in six of the past seven seasons and produced 10 ‘millionaires’ but in the past week or so he’s had winners in WA, Tassie, South Australia, Victoria of course, and a Group winner in NSW. No wonder they keep selling so well (up to $320,000 in 2021).”
With the transition from Sun Stud earlier this year, the Kerrie property (in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges) has had its roster bolstered in 2021 by the addition of long-running Widden stars in Nicconi and Star Witness, along with newcomers, Doubtland and Russian Camelot.
“It certainly got off to a fantastic start,” Henry points out. “Nicconi (119 winners), Magnus (119) and Star Witness (100) all broke the ton in Australia in 2020/21 and I reckon we’d be the only stud in Victoria to ever have that kind of record going into a new season.
“Nicconi of course is the sire of the world’s best sprinter in Nature Strip, while Star Witness is off to another flyer this season with 28 individual winners and runners including (Group 2 winner) Swift Witness.
“Not surprisingly, there’s plenty of interest too in Doubtland (Group 2 Danehill Stakes) and dual Group 1 winner, Russian Camelot, who both did much of their best work in Victoria and, we might add, really enjoying their new line of employment.”
