A day after Widden Stud announced that Gold Standard would join the Widden roster this spring, the former Spendthrift stallion rocketed to second-leading first season sire following the barnstorming victory of Sheeza Belter in Saturday’s $1,000,000 XXXX Group II Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm.
Ridden by Willie Pike for Peter and Paul Snowden, the former Luke Fernie-trained filly unleashed a withering burst to overpower the brave front-running Pariah colt Swiss Exile by a length in a first season stallion quinella.
The Zoustar colt Brereton was a further three-quarter length back in third.
Sheeza Belter won two of her three starts in Western Australia, including the WA Magic Millions Classic.
“The dry track, I think that’s the key to her. She comes from Perth, so she wasn’t going to see too many wet tracks in her life,” Paul Snowden said.
“She was the dominant two-year-old over in Perth this season, obviously culminating in winning the Magic Millions over there and to Justin Warwick’s credit, he sent her over. It took about a week to get here via road, and we stemmed a plan from then on.
“When the races were cancelled the other week, it was a no-brainer to come here today. We had to pay the late entry, but that means nothing at the moment. As you can see, there’s some owners support here today, they’re absolutely loving it.
“We’re keen to get her to the paddock now. She’s had a good preparation and she’s only going to come back bigger and stronger.
“We didn’t want to go past today, but it’s up to her (whether to go to the JJ Atkins). She’s a filly that can get a bit hot in herself, but she was deadset like butter in your hands today. Whether or not she’s loving Queensland I don’t know, but she was very good.”
Consigned by Mt Hallowell Stud to the Perth Magic Millions Yearling Sale, Sheeza Belter failed to make her $50,000 reserve before being sold to Justin Warwick
She is the third winner from as many to race out of the winning Saxon mare Saxonbelle.
Saxobelle is a half-sister to Group III ATC Southern Cross Stakes and Group III Newcastle JC Newmarket Hcp winner Special Reward, Group III WATC Sires' Produce Stakes winner Showy Chloe (Alfred Nobel) and Listed winner El Rijes (Eternity Range).
Saxobelle has a yearling colt by More Than Ready (USA). Not covered in 2020, the daughter of Saxon visited Brave Smash (JPN) last spring.
With just 42 live foals in his first crop, Gold Standard also sired Golden Queen, who finished second in the Listed Woodlands Stud Stakes at Scone for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott and was third at Randwick on Saturday.
The Group II winning son of Sebring stood the first four years at Spendthrift for a fee of $5,500 and will stand at $8,800 this spring.
Widden purchased the son of Sebring in partnership with Hesket Thoroughbreds, who recently acquired Spendthrift Australia.
