'He’s worth it, every penny of it' - Zoustar valued at A$78m after share sells for A$1.3m

The share in Widden’s headline stallion Zoustar was billed as a rare opportunity and it lived up to the hype on Wednesday as it became the most expensive stallion share ever sold at public auction in Australia when realising a sale-high of A$1.3 million (£675,000/€800,000) on the Inglis Digital June (Early) Online Sale.

The 1/60th share in the 13-year-old was offered by Qatar Bloodstock and the price tag effectively values the star stallion at A$78m. 

Interest in the Qatar Bloodstock offering was global and led to some extraordinary participation, with 15 bids placed above A$1m alone. The eventual winning bidder was Bangaloe Stud, and Julia Ritchie was delighted to win the fierce bidding duel.

“I was always prepared to go close to that price and in the end he’s worth it, every penny of it,’’ said Ritchie.

“That said, that was my absolute upper limit, I didn’t really have another bid in me, but I think it’s worthwhile to be able to become involved in a superstar stallion like Zoustar.

“I’ve been supporting Zoustar previously as a breeder and to now be able to have a share in a young stallion who is kicking it out of the park, as a breeder that’s what you like to do, to support these next generation of great stallions.’’

Ritchie got a taste for the market’s thirst for progeny of the stallion at this year’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, selling a colt out of Phantom Queen to the James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership for A$650,000 through the draft of Widden Stud.

Zoustar’s 54 stakes winners are headed by eight elite-level winners, including Coolmore Stud Stakes-winning pair Sunlight and Ozzmosis. 

The stallion will stand the 2024 season for an increased fee of a$275,000 (inc GST), which will make him the equal most expensive stallion in the country alongside Australia’s dual champion stallion I Am Invincible. 

David Redvers, racing and bloodstock adviser to Qatar Bloodstock’s Sheikh Fahad, was thrilled with Wednesday’s result.

"It's a very new thing for us, selling something like this online, but the Inglis Digital platform is an excellent and dynamic way in which to trade," said Redvers.

"You are always slightly nervous putting something so valuable to public auction in case it falls below expectation but, in this instance, the process and the result matched and exceeded expectations. I was delighted to do that bit of business with Inglis.

"What this result does is it demonstrates quite clearly the esteem in which Zoustar is held and it's great that the market's view of the stallion matches our thoughts on how good he is and how valuable he is."

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