Racing
Zoustar joins Champion Sire honour roll
Widden stallion joins greats with maiden leading sire award.
Zoustar has been one of Australia's most sought-after stallions for several seasons and he has now achieved the ultimate accolade after being crowned Australia's premier stallion.
The Widden resident rounded out an unforgettable 2024/25 season to halt I Am Invincible's three-season run with a dominant win in the Australian Champion Sire award.
Zoustar sired horses who won $26,318,590 in stakes to build on the success of season 2023/24 when he led both the individual winners and total wins award.
Zoustar joins the list of champion stallions to have stood at the historic Hunter Valley property, which include Vain, Bletchingly and Marscay, but is Widden's first since the latter's last title in 1992/93, which is a subject of great pride for the Thompson family.
"It's a very satisfying time and it's obviously an incredibly hard thing to do to have a Champion Stallion," Antony Thompson said of Zoustar, who turned 15 on Friday.
"Widden obviously he has a great history with standing some of the greatest Australian sires, but it's almost 35 years since Marscay was Champion Stallion.
"It's a huge achievement, it's something not lost on us and we're obviously proud of everything Zoustar has achieved.
"He is still very young so it is all in front of him. To be Champion Stallion as such a young horse is certainly very exciting as well."
Zoustar, a son of former leading first-season sire Northern Meteor, was pipped by I Am Invincible for individual winners, 203 to 198, but had his name attached to more wins than any other stallion with 335.
That was 20 more than I Am Invincible, winner of the past three champion sire titles, who edged out Pride Of Dubai by $22,779,421 to $22,736,073 for second spot.
The most significant contributors to Zoustar's tally were dual Group 1 winner Joliestar and Growing Empire, who each amassed just over $2.8 million, and Group 1 William Reid Stakes winner Schwarz, who was another seven-figure performer.
Zoustar, who will this stand for $275,000, including GST, is only the fourth stallion to win the award in the past nine seasons, joining I Am Invincible, four-time winner Snitzel and Written Tycoon.
He also follows in his footsteps of his grandsire Encosta De Lago, a dual winner of the award in 2007 and 2008.
Widden is not the only stud celebrating champion stallion honours with Vinery's Ole Kirk bringing first-season stallion honours to the Hunter Valley farm.
The son of Written Tycoon led the award from early in the season, thanks to the deeds of Breeders Plate winner King Kirk and Magic Millions heroine O' Ole, who were among four Stakes winners for the two-time Group 1 winner who had a comfortable win over Wootton Bassett.
Too Darn Hot, last year's Champion First-Season Sire, backed up that victory with a dominant win in this season's second-season sire award, while his Darley barnmate Harry Angel won the third-season sire award.
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