Widden Stud are delighted to announce service fees on a diverse roster of 20 stallions split between NSW and Victoria with our flagship sire Zoustar remaining at the fee of $275,000 inc GST.
Zoustar was the world’s leading sire of winners in 2024 and is powering through 2025 in a similar vein. The champion son of Northern Meteor has sired a dozen Australian stakes-winners this season headed by Group I winners Joliestar and Schwarz with his seasonal earnings already topping $20million.
Zoustar yearlings were in hot demand this year with 26 yearlings selling for $500,000 or more with his highest priced the Widden bred and consigned filly from The Actuary that sold for $2.6million at Inglis Easter.
“Zoustar is a champion sire for both the racetrack and sale-ring and his progeny have the precocity Australian buyers expect coupled with the constitution to see them train on, with outstanding four year-olds Joliestar and Schwarz collecting G1 wins this season,” said Antony Thompson.
“He has covered books of outstanding mares in recent years as his star has continued to rise and we believe he is well placed to establish his standing amongst the great Australian sires of this century.”
Offering more affordable value to budget conscious breeders is also a high priority at Widden with Zoustar’s top class son Zousain remaining at $27,500, Written By unchanged at $22,000, while Portland Sky, whose first yearlings sold for up to $320,000 has had a slight reduction to $16,500.
“Yearlings by Zousain, Written By and Portland Sky all sold well at the major Australian yearling sales this year off modest fees delivering great results for their breeders, ensuring they are looked after,” said Matt Comerford.
All priced below $10,000 this year, Rebel Dane, Supido and Gold Standard are promising stallions that started from a low stud fee and struck immediate success producing Fireburn (G1 Golden Slipper), Buenos Noches ($1.9million earning sprinter) and Sheeza Belter (G1 JJ Atkins Stakes) respectively.
Subsequent more widespread support from broodmare owners sees all three stallions well placed to progress with strong crops of younger stock coming through.
In a further move to support breeders, Widden are also reducing fees on Trapeze Artist, Russian Camelot (IRE), Jacquinot, Bruckner and well proven Group I producing sire Nicconi.
With their oldest progeny just two year-olds exciting young sires Dirty Work, Doubtland and Anders have all made their mark.
Dirty Work has had three winners including the stakes-winner Do I Feel Lucky, Doubtland also has three winners and two are metro winners, while Anders has four winners with Frothy Macaw fourth in a stakes race and Casino Bay winning the $125,000 Pat O’Shea Plate at Toowoomba.
All three stallions are priced at $13,200 and Antony Thompson believes they have great upside for the future given their results so far from comparatively few runners.
New to the roster last year were Kingman’s Group I winning son King Colorado and flashy Deep Field sprinter Sweet Ride with both stallions staying at the same fee as last year as we await the arrival of their first foals.
Widden will also add two newcomers to the roster this year in Southport Tycoon and Cogburn (USA).
A horse with many similarities to leading first season sire Ole Kirk, Southport Tycoon was successful at G1 level at 1200m and 1600m and comes from an elite female family, so will satisfy broodmare owners on the score of both pedigree and performance.
"We see Southport Tycoon as the natural 'sire succession' to Champion stallion Written Tycoon and he has been extremely well received by Victorian breeders since his announcement," added Thompson.
Widden are also taking a step back into the shuttle sire market with the addition of the world’s fastest horse in 2024, Cogburn (USA).
“Cogburn is one of seven Group I winners by Not This Time, who is regarded as one of the most exciting young sires in North America attracting comparisons to champion Australian sire I Am Invincible for his meteoric rise at Taylor Made Stallions starting off from a modest fee of $US15,000 when he went to stud in 2017,” said Thompson.
With nearly 70% winners to runners and 12% SW to runners, Not This Time has sired 46 stakeswinners in total and his fee for 2025 has been set at $US175,000 up from $US150,000 in 2024.
All fees inclusive of GST with 2024 fees in brackets.
NSW
Anders $13,200 ($16,500)
Cogburn (USA) (NEW) $27,500
Jacquinot $24,200 ($27,500)
Portland Sky $16,500 ($19,800)
Rebel Dane $8,800 ($11,000)
Supido $9,900 ($16,500)
Sweet Ride $11,000 ($11,000)
Trapeze Artist $33,000 ($55,000)
Written By $22,000 ($22,000)
Zousain $27,500 ($27,500)
Zoustar $275,000 ($275,0000
Victoria
Bruckner $9,900 ($11,000)
Dirty Work $13,200 ($13,200)
Doubtland $13,200 ($13,200)
Gold Standard $5,500 ($9,900)
King Colorado $16,500 ($16,500)
Nicconi $13,200 ($16,500)
Russian Camelot (IRE) $16,500 ($19,800)
Southport Tycoon (NEW) $38,500
Star Witness $8,800 ($8,800)
