“Widden’s Star Witness appears a sure thing to continue his rise up the Australian Stallion ranks judging on his ability to sire arguably Australia’s best two 3yo’s of either sex. From just three crops he has sired high class sprinter milers that perform from Two to Three. With over 360 mares covered in the last two seasons don’t expect this guy to slow down anytime soon.” Breednet – Tara Madgwick
(in Great Britain, Australia)
| Age | Runs | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 4 | 3 | – | – | A$717,700 |
| 3 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | A$650,267 |
| Totals: | 13 | 4 | 2 | 3 | A$1,367,967 |
| At 2 : | MRC Blue Diamond S., Gr.1 (1200m beating Shaaheq and Beneteau), VRC Talindert S., L (1100m beating Tricky Tricky and Willow Creek), MVRC Tatts Group 2YO P. (1000m) |
| At 3 : | VRC Coolmore Stud S., Gr.1 (1200m beating Curtana and Shrapnel), 2d Royal Ascot King’s Stand S., Gr.1 (5f to Prohibit and beating Sweet Sanette), VRC Patinack Classic, Gr.1 (1200m to Black Caviar and beating Ortensia), 3d Royal Ascot Golden Jubilee S., Gr.1 (6f to Society Rock and Monsieur Chevalier), MRC Manfred S., L (1300m to Enjin Number Nine and Bullbars), Vain S., L (1100m to Toorak Toff and Soul), 4th MRC Schillaci S., Gr.2 (1000m) |
Champion 3YO Colt in Australia in 2010-11.
World Thoroughbred Ranking: 116 (in 2010).
”A group one winner at two and three, Star Witness has been among the top three sires of his crop in each of his first three seasons with runners. He has emrged in season 2016/17 as one of Australia’s most exciting young sires with Group One 3yo’s GLOBAL GLAMOUR & STAR TURN.
Five of Star Witness’s first nine stakes winners are out of Danzig line mares. He has two stakes winners, including goup one scorer Global Glamour out of a mare by Testa Rossa (by Perugino), a close relative to Star Witness’s male line ancestor, Nureyev. Star Witness has a stakes winner out of a mare by Danzig line stallion Desert Sun (by Green Desert, also sire of Cape Cross, Invincible Spirit and Volksraad, and grandsire of I Am Invincible), and he has a group winner out of a daughter of Langfuhr. Star Witness does carry Danehill, but that strain is back in the fourth generation of his foals, and he already has a stakes winner out of a mare by Danehill son, Fastnet Rock. In addition, Danehill might be particularly interesting here through Redoute’s Choice, Flying Spur, Danehill Dancer (sire of Choisir), Commands and Danewin. We can also note Starcraft group winners out of mares by Anabaa and Beautiful Crown (by Chief’s Crown, also sire of Grand Lodge).
Given that Star Witness has already worked over Perugino, a close relative to Nureyev, it would also make sense to consider mares from the sire lines of Sadler’s Wells and Fairy King. Sadler’s Wells is the broodmare sire of a Starcraft group winner, and sources include Barathea and King of Kings (who both appear particularly interesting), Galileo, Montjeu, High Chaparral, Scenic (sire of Blevic), Carnegie and Singspiel. Fairy King can be introduced through Encosta de Lago, Helissio and Falbrav. Yeats is a Nijinsky II horse closely related to Nureyev, and Nijinsky II looks good in general, with other sources including Royal Academy (sire of Bel Esprit) and Generous.
Star Witness is free of Mr. Prospector, and from that line has a stakes winner out of a mare by Grand Slam(who gives inbreeding to the brothers Try My Best and El Gran Senor), which suggest other sons of Gone West including Elusive Quality, Mr. Greeley, and Zafonic (and his son Xaar) and Zamindar. Geiger Counter and Jade Robbery give linebreeding to the family of Nureyev, and Mr. Prospector through Street Cry, Street Sense, Vettori, Thunder Gulch, Woodman, Timber Country, Hector Protector, Bahhare and Woodborough, King’s Best, Dubai Destination, El Moxie, Jade Hunter, Umatilla, Secret Savings, Lujain, Bellotto and Unbridled’s Song.
The cross of Star Witness over mares descending from Sir Tristram, through Zabeel – the broodmare sire of a Star Turn stakes winner – Kaapstad, and his close relative Octagonal (sire of Lonhro), look promising giving strong reinforcement of the pedigree of Soviet Star. Two branches of the Nasrullah line that have worked well under Soviet Star are Blushing Groom (available through such as Nassipour, Quest For Fame, Viscount and Spectrum) and Grey Sovereign ( who can be found through Jeune, Kenfair, Kenvain, Metal Storm and Keltrice). From the Star Kingdom line, Starcraft has a group winner out of a mare by Canny Lad, and Star Witness’s grop winner Star Turn is out of a mare by Made of Gold, a son of Green Forest, from the Shecky Greene/Noholme II branch of that line. Starcraft and Star Witness both have stakes winners from mares by sons of Sunday Silence a son of Halo which also suggests More Than Ready (sire of Sebring) and Don’t Say Halo.
