Rubick's son Jaquinot purchased by Widden Stud

Originally posted on Blood Horse

Widden Stud has pulled off a stunning coup on the eve of The Tab Everest by purchasing exciting group 1-winning stallion prospect Jacquinot, the sole 3-year-old in the Oct. 15 AU$15 million (US$9,437,550) sprint, the world's richest race on turf.

The scintillating Chandon Golden Rose Stakes (G1) winner, who is trained by Mick Price and Mick Kent Jr. in Victoria, will run in the Coolmore-owned Everest slot, three weeks after his breakthrough group 1 success, which saw interest from studs skyrocket.

The deal, which was finalized late on Oct. 13 between Widden Stud's Antony Thompson and Jacquinot's ownership group, is believed to value the son of Rubick in the vicinity of AU$15 million.

Agent James Harron brokered the deal between the owners of Jacquinot and the interested investors, with Widden Stud the successful party. 

A Boxing Day winner at Caulfield at 2, he stormed home to run third in the Neds Blue Diamond Stakes (G1) in February, where he displayed an explosive turn of foot, a trademark trait which was again shown in the Golden Rose, when he ran down elite filly In Secret to seal a slot in The Everest. 

Jacquinot, whose sire also has Shades Of Rose in The Everest, will run for his existing ownership group at Randwick on Saturday, before racing in the colors of Qatar Racing's Sheikh Fahad, who also partnered with Widden on Zoustar , now one of Australia's most commercial stallions and this season's general sires' premiership table leader.

His current owners will retain a share in the new syndicate, which will be managed by Thompson "with Jacquinot's stallion career in mind," but racing on as a 4-year-old is a distinct possibility.

"We've had a lot of success with the sire line and the Encosta de Lago line is really emerging as the new, big dominant line in Australia with the success Zoustar is having and, of course, Deep Field and now Rubick sire line as well," Thompson told ANZ Bloodstock News. 

"I'd say, being inbred to Shantha's Choice, there's a lot of options to your matings and, when it's time (to retire him) to stud, he'll be a really nice horse to breed to."

Price said Jacquinot's unbeaten 3-year-old season thus far—he resumed with a victory in the Group 3 H.D.F. McNeil Stakes (G3) at Caulfield on Aug. 27—mirrored the colt's physical improvement he had after his 2-year-old campaign, which finished with a closing sixth to Fireburn in the Longines Golden Slipper (G1).

"He has superior athletic ability; he was a very good 2-year-old who was unlucky not to win the group 1 Blue Diamond, and he has definitely made the necessary improvement as a 3-year-old," said Price. 

"I think Widden will have a good stallion when he goes to stud as he has the qualities of an alpha male and that X-factor as a racehorse, which translates so well into stud success."

Damian Lane will ride Jacquinot from barrier two in The Everest, for which he is the fourth choice behind heavy favorite Nature Strip .

The Coolmore Stud Stakes (G1) at Flemington could round out the colt's spring campaign after The Everest, a path successfully used last year by Home Affairs.

A trip overseas to Royal Ascot could also be on the cards for Jacquinot, if everything went to plan.

"With Sheikh Fahad's involvement and Jacquinot being in his colors, he'd love to see him (at Royal Ascot), and that may be an option at the end of this 3- or even at the end of his 4-year-old season if we race him on," said Thompson.

"Now in Australia, with so much prize-money around in the spring, it's very tempting with these colts not to just put them to stud at the end of their 3-year-old season, but to consider those 4-year-old races.

"Mick Price and some of the original owners would love to see him race on, so we will consider all that in time, but there's by no means any definite decision on where he goes or what he does. At this stage, we'll enjoy his racing and weigh that up."

Jacquinot is the first foal out of Ponterro, a full sister to group 2 winner Dragon Leap and a half sister to Girvan Waugh Randwick Guineas (G1) winner Inference, and the highly promising Price-Kent trained stakes-winning 4-year-old Illation.

Jacquinot's co-breeder and part-owner Lindsay Maxsted said: "We are delighted that Widden has joined us in the ongoing ownership of our exciting 3-year-old colt.

"It will be a pleasure to race Jacquinot alongside them and, moreover, he is going to a wonderful home at the conclusion of his racing career."