Bloodstock agent Sheamus Mills Seamus said he felt he owed his client a good one and did just that with the Zoustar filly Persuader who opened her stakes account in Saturday's Twilight Glow Stakes (1400m) at Sandown.
Given the run of the race by Noel Callow, Persuader held the challenge of Eawase (Sebring) by a length with Aristocratic Miss (Foxwedge) a short-half-head back in third.
"I bought her at the Magic Millions for $360,000 for client Heath Newton who I really want to give a shout out too," Mills said.
"The first horse I bought him was horribly slow, might make a nice broodmare, but you don't buy them any slower than the first horse I bought him.
"He's stuck fat and the next two are both stakes horses so I couldn't be happier for him.
"She's got a beautiful page and Heath is putting together a broodmare band and obviously Zoustar is just red hot. They were expensive purchases, $360,000 for a filly by a first season stallion."
Winning trainer Mick Price said the 3yo daughter of Zoustar would be
"I think the ride wins, drawn 2 never spent a penny and got out at the right time." Price said
"She ran well the other day at Flemington, beaten four lengths although she had every chance
"I think she's got a place in the autumn. She's a stakes-filly now so her rating will go up. We will put her out without bottoming her out and she will do really well. I think she has got a big autumn in front of her."
Sourced out of the Widden Stud draft at the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Persuader is the third foal out of the stakes-placed Fastnet Rock mare, Fast Talker.
From a celebrated family nurtured by David Moodie, Fast Talker is a daughter of Listed stakes winner Crystal Wit (Distorted Humor) who is a half-sister to the ill-fated, Golden Slipper winner, Crystal Lily (Stratum).
Widden Stud will consign a Sebring filly out of Fast Talker to the 2019 Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
A $320,000 Easter yearling, Fast Talker was purchased by Vin Cox Bloodstock for $280,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Broodmare Sale.
She was covered by Zoustar again last spring but slipped.
Persuader becomes the fifth individual stakes winner from the first crop by Widden Stud's Zoustar (pictured) who has a healthy representation of 51 yearlings at the Magic Millions.
