Widden Owned Filly Wins on Debut

A Redoute’s Choice filly bred to Northern Hemisphere time, promising three year-old filly Zestful was mad a Breednet ‘One to Watch’ after scoring on debut at Canterbury on Wednesday.

Prepared by Sam Kavanagh, Zestful was a touch slow to jump and settled at the rear before making ground quickly between runners up the straight to dash home and win the 1100 metre maiden by a length.

The win was all the more impressive when you consider she is bred to Northern Hemisphere time so is not yet three and was giving away considerable strength and maturity to her rivals.

Zestful was a $90,000 Magic Millions National Sale purchase from the draft of Bellerive Stud and runs for Widden Stud’s Antony Thompson and his good mate Paul Frampton.

Thompson was on hand to witness the win having just travelled back from the Gold Coast where Widden Stud enjoyed a highly successful Magic Millions sale.

“She did a great job to win given she’s not even three yet, although Sam has been ‘cock-a-hoop’ about her for a while now,” said Thompson.

“Sam worked for us going back in time and exactly ten years ago today when he was with us I promised him I would give him a filly to train one day and she’s the filly.”

A half-sister to Group III placed Zedazest and to the dam of Group II winner Military Rose, Zestful is the seventh winner from 11 to race from Zest, a half-sister to multiple Group I winner and leading sire Zeditave from the family of Group I stars such as Melito (also by Redoute’s Choice), Greys Inn and Norzita.

As a winning blue-blooded daughter of champion sire Redoute’s Choice, Zestful will make an appealing broodmare prospect for the future and even more so if she can measure up to Black Type company.