Not A Single Doubt Son Anders Retired to Widden Stud

Anders, a son of the highly sought after but now pensioned sire Not A Single Doubt  and the fastest horse Ciaron Maher says he has trained, has been retired to Widden Stud to stand his first season for 2021.

Antony Thompson, who was March 23 attempting to mitigate damage caused by flooding and a power outage at his historic Widden Stud property, Tuesday confirmed the group 3-winning sprinter had run his last race.

He will stand for an introductory fee of $16,500 (including GST).

"Obviously Not A Single Doubt has had a huge impact and his legacy continues to grow, so to have that very fast son of Not A Single Doubt, I am sure he will be a popular addition to our line-up," Thompson told ANZ Bloodstock News.

"He is a smashing type of horse. He does have all the characteristics that Not A Single Doubt has really become so renowned for: that lovely forearm and gaskin and a big, round, powerful hindquarter, so I am sure he will be a real 'look and book' stallion.

"He possesses all that speed which is highly commercial and sought after, and he has really deep, international parts to his pedigree as well."

Anders, who raced as an early season 2-year-old in New South Wales and Queensland, won two of his three starts in a three-start late autumn juvenile preparation, before displaying blistering speed on his return at 3, claiming the Schweppes Rosebud Stakes and Tab San Domenico Stakes (G3) in August.

Those performances led to Thompson chasing Anders, considered by many pundits to have the following month's Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes (G1) at Moonee Valley at his mercy, as a stallion prospect. 

From there, things went awry, with an elevated temperature ruling him out of the Moir, for which he was the short-priced pre-post favorite, before an attempt was made to resurrect his spring campaign in the Catanachs Jewellers Blue Sapphire Stakes (G3) and Coolmore Stud Stakes (G1), finishing a close-up third of three runners in the former, and trailing in last of the 14-runner field in the latter at Flemington.

Anders returned in the New Year with a view to the short-course group 1 sprint races in Melbourne and Sydney, but he was trapped wide from barrier 17 in the Neds Oakleigh Plate (G1) at Caulfield in February and the wet tracks in Sydney led connections to immediately retiring the valuable colt.

"It was very disappointing that he did get sick leading into the Moir and we weren't able to run him there," Thompson said. 

"We had a few things going against us, and we were never really able to get him back from that. Certainly, he wouldn't be at that fee of $15,000 (excluding GST) if he had gone on to win the Moir."

But Thompson has not lost confidence in Anders' credentials as a stud prospect despite the hiccups experienced at the end of his career, believing the rising 4-year-old fits the mold of the stallions who have served Widden well over many decades.

He said: "It has been the foundation of the success at the farm. The colonial speed horses have always been very successful, and I am sure Anders will fit very nicely into that mould."

Maher, who trained Anders in partnership with David Eustace, said: "Australian racing is all about speed, strength, and temperament; Anders had this in spades. 

"He was a naturally talented racehorse, and we saw glimpses of his speed and ability in the listed Rosebud and group 3 San Domenico. Undoubtedly, he is the fastest racehorse I have ever trained."  

Among those investors to join Widden in buying into Anders for stud duties are Sheriff Iskander, Greenwich Stud's Greg Perry, Glenlogan Park, Raheen Stud's Basil Nolan, and Louis Mihalyka's Laurel Oak partnership.

A  AU$670,000 (US$481,395) Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate, he was purchased by Aquis Farm and Ciaron Maher Racing from the Arrowfield Stud draft. He is one of three winners for the unraced mare Madame Andree (War Emblem) who is also the dam of the stakes-placed Battleground, himself a high-priced Gold Coast graduate. 

A three-quarter sister to Anders by Snitzel  made AU$800,000 ($618,737) at this year's Magic Millions auction when bought by agent James Harron, whose colts syndicate also raced Battleground, underlining Madame Andree's ability to breed highly sought after yearlings, with her four yearlings sold at auction having grossed AU$2.73 million. She has a 2020 colt by Pariah and was put in foal to The Autumn Sun last year.

Madame Andree's sire War Emblem won the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) in 2002, as did her damsire Sunday Silence in 1989.

Yulong Prince to Nagambie 

The South African-bred Yulong Prince, a horse with a familiar Southern Hemisphere pedigree who became the first Australian group 1 winner for major investor Yuesheng Zhang, has been retired to the Chinese businessman's growing Victorian stud.

The last-start Kennedy Cantala Stakes (G1) winner, who was also a group 1 winner in South Africa before coming under Yulong's ownership, will be one of three first season sires standing at the Nagambie farm.

The rising 7-year-old entire, a four-time winner at 2 who initially raced as Surcharge, will be joined by Neds Blue Diamond Stakes (G1) winner Tagaloa and Zhang's Keeneland Phoenix Stakes (G1)-winning European star Lucky Vega .

Yulong Prince's group 1 success at Flemington on Victoria Derby day last year, which clinched the horse's stud future, was a defining moment for Zhang who has developed an extraordinary broodmare band and racing division primarily in Australia as well as China and Europe.

"Yulong Prince had a little knock to his leg so we decided to retire him," Yulong chief operating officer Sam Fairgray revealed as the reason for the horse missing the autumn. 

"Mr. Zhang purchased him to win a group 1 and we have achieved that, so now he can come and join our roster, and we'll support him with some nice mares we've got here. He is free of Danehill; he's by a stallion who is a son of More Than Ready  , and he is also out of a Canny Lad mare."

Yulong Prince, who was also campaigned in Dubai after being purchased by Zhang before heading south, was trained by Chris Waller in Australia during a 15-start stint which also netted a victory in the Furphy Melbourne Cup Day Plate in 2019 at Flemington. 

"Yulong Prince was a very impressive horse on two fronts. Firstly, his ability to compete at a high level overseas and then come to Australia and adapt to our conditions of training and racing, once again at the highest level; a great feat not comparable by many," Waller said. 

"Secondly, he was a very good-looking horse with a good attitude, and obviously sound and well performed."

Yulong Prince's sire is sprinter-miler Gimmethegreenlight, a winner of six races from 1,000 meters to 1,600 meters (five furlongs to a mile). As a 2-year-old, he won his first four starts then became the first 3-year-old in 42 years to win the L'Ormarins Queen's Plate (G1).

He has had a prominent influence in South Africa, being crowned 2016 champion freshman sire and, in 2017, he was the leading second crop sire. In 2018 he was the leading active sire of 3-year-olds, and he was the leading active sire by stakes winners in 2019. 

Gimmethegreenlight, who is out of Yes She Can Cancan (Canny Lad), is also a half brother to Coolmore Classic Tad Kennedy (G1) winner Ofcourseican, the dam of The Bart Cummings (G3) winner Persan. 

Yulong Prince holds an extensive international family which features Gran Criterium (G1) winner Count Dubois, and Entenmanns Irish Two Thousand Guineas (G1) hero Indian Haven.

Yulong Prince won at 2 before excelling at 3, winning five of his nine starts during that season, which prompted Zhang to make a compelling offer for the then colt.

He is the best of six winners for the Diktat mare Congestion Charge who is a three-quarter sister to Royal Ascot group 3 winner Endorsement, herself the dam of multiple stakes winner Mores Wells.

Already at the farm and available for inspection, Yulong Prince is a stunning horse who will appeal to a variety of mares at a yet-to-be-announced "value" service fee, according to Fairgray.

"He's black, with some white markings. He'll be an easy horse to mate to, and he will suit many mares on type because he's a nice size—not too big, not too small—and he's an attractive horse," he said.

Service fees for Yulong Prince, Tagaloa, Grunt, Alabama Express, and Lucky Vega will be announced at a later date.