Best of the Best is Producing the Best

The best colt by the hottest sire is producing stunning first foals that are the talk of the Hunter Valley.

The only three year-old in history to win the Group I MVRC Cox Plate and VRC Australian Guineas, Shamus Award is the highest rated son of red hot sire Snitzel and is his only multiple Group I winner.

A brilliant two year-old who produced multiple stakes performances prior to Christmas and then trained on at three to be the very best colt in the country, Shamus Award is the epitome of the top class Australian thoroughbred.

“Given his outstanding, early 2yo performances it is certainly our expectation that Shamus Award will have an immediate impact once his progeny hit the track,” said Widden Stud’s Ryan McEvoy.

“He is a very unique horse. Not only is he the highest rated Snitzel to ever race, his ability to sustain sectional speed fraction after fraction is quite uncommon.

“Like a number of Australia’s best stallions, Shamus Award was a ‘gate-speed’ horse, a term we use to describe an individual that has early speed and the ability to lead and break the hearts of their rivals. He led all the way in the Cox Plate, winning in faster time than Sunline, Northerly, Makybe Diva, Savabeel and Kingston Town did in their nine combined victories of the race.

“He also led all the way in a taxing Australian Guineas defeating Criterion, Hucklebuck and Eurozone. His ‘gate-speed’ was his trademark. It is a trait that so many successful Australian sires have in common.

“Precocity. Speed. The ability to train on. By a Champion young sire. They’re pretty essential requirements to what works in Australia.”

Shamus Award covered 165 mares in his debut season at Widden and below are some of the foals that are bringing the mares back to him this spring!

“From across the Hunter and interstate the feedback has been nothing but positive. It’s exciting to hear just how satisfied the breeders are with their Shamus Award foals,” McEvoy added.

Filly Shamus Award x Essie’s Pride

Filly Shamus Award x Miss Lombardi

Filly Shamus Award x Puerto Vallarta

Filly Shamus Award x Badabing x Badaboom

Filly Shamus Award x Sovereign Charm

The highest earning, highest rated flagbearer for Snitzel, Shamus Award stands at a fee of $27,500.