Zoustar Leads NZB Ready to Run Sire Average

A record breaking NZB Ready to Run Sale this week highlighted demand for Widden Stud’s champion sire Zoustar with just three of his stock offered and all were sold at an average $466,667 making him the leading sire by average.

On the first day of the sale, Zoustar had a Phoenix Park consigned colt from Lombardia sell for $500,000 to Waikato Bloodstock and a gelding from Group III winner Princess of Queens make $425,000 for Riversley Park when knocked down to Jamie Richards Racing/ Andrew Williams Bloodstock.

The trend continued on Thursday when Riversley Park also got $500,000 for their colt (pictured) from Reconstruct that was bought by Equine Investments & Bevan Smith Bloodstock.

The horse will be headed to Hong Kong to be trained by Douglas Whyte, a former champion jockey now turned trainer.

Whyte teamed up with Sam Wright’s Equine Investments and bloodstock agent Bevan Smith to secure the colt, who is from the family of Group winners Alma’s Fury and Championship.

“Sam Beatson’s as good as anyone in the industry at doing these breeze-ups and preparing horses,” Bevan Smith said. “From day one, I’ve stayed in contact with Sam and he was saying, ‘This is the horse, this is the horse.’

“It gives you confidence buying off someone like Sam when he gives you a nudge for a horse. He sold Golden Sixty and hopefully this horse can live up to that kind of tag.”