Widden Stud is gearing up for the imminent breeding season and have recently welcomed a new acquisition to their Hunter Valley farm in the shape of the record-breaking sprinter Cogburn .
The United States speedster arrived off the back of a remarkable career in which he won nine of his 16 career starts, earning more than $2.4 million in prize money. He was rated the joint-best sprinter on the 2024 Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings and clocked a then-North American record of :59.80 last year in the 5 1/2-furlong Jaipur Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course.
Cogburn's arrival represents a significant coup for Widden Stud and owner Antony Thompson, with the son of Not This Time bringing genuine international credentials to the Hunter Valley, having just covered his first book of mares at WinStar Farm in Kentucky.
Thompson said: "He's a very popular horse at WinStar Farm, where he's just covered his first book of over 190 mares. He's the world's highest-rated sprinter, and he brings a real outcross and a new sire line to Australia.
"Not This Time is a real rags-to-riches story in America, where he went to stud at $15,000, and with six crops of racing age now, his service fee is $175,000. So, he's been a phenomenon over there—he's had three champions, seven group 1 winners, and Cogburn, for us, was his number one son."
Thompson said the stallion's physique and athleticism have also struck a chord with breeders since his arrival at Widden last week.
"He is the world's fastest horse, he loved the turf. He is just fabulous looking, you can see why he was so fast. A real class horse, great presence, lovely action. A really exciting horse to bring to Australia, and the response from the Aussie breeders has been fantastic and the response certainly today has been enormous, really overwhelming," he said.
Thompson believes the sprinter's introductory fee of AU$27,500 (approx. US$17,675) presents good value for breeders.
"The hype is speed, the outcross, he's going to suit so many of our mares," he said. "He is going to have a lot of international appeal and a lot of local appeal. He's going to be a horse that's really sought after in the sale ring, and I'm sure he's going to be a horse that makes a big impact on the track."
Widden, along with a number of respected breeders, will support Cogburn strongly in his first Australian season.
"We're sending some beautiful mares to him. We've got 22 mares of our own going to him already. He's nearly fully booked, so the response has been terrific. There's not too many (nominations) available in him," Thompson continued.
Cogburn will stand alongside recently minted Australian champion sire Zoustar, who continues to set the standard both in the sales ring and on the racetrack.
The son of Northern Meteor gifted Widden Stud their first title since Marscay won his second in 1993, an achievement which Thompson said is immensely satisfying.
"It's a huge personal achievement," he said. "Widden has a very proud history of having champion sires, and for me to now add Zoustar as another champion sire on my time at the helm is enormously satisfying and something I'm really proud of."
