September 21st, 2008

A colt from the first North American crop of foals sired by young Widden Stud based shuttle sire Southern Image (USA) made $290,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale on Monday to be the second highest priced offering of the session.

Consigned by Summerfield as agent and knocked down to Third Street Stable, the dark bay colt is a half-brother to Group Three winner Dr Park being from well-related mare Hasty Appeal, a half-sister to no less than five US stakes-winners.

The first Australian progeny of triple Group One winner Southern Image (USA) will be offered at the yearling sales in 2009.  A phenomenal racehorse that won six races and placed twice from eight starts, Southern Image (USA) is the best performed Halo line stallions at stud in Australia and stands at a fee of $11,000.

July 2nd, 2006

As the racing season draws to a close, STALLIONS continues to use the remainder of the season to showcase freshman sires who are about to embark on their new careers.

One of the new and exciting stallion prospects heading to Australia this spring is Southern Image, a triple Group One winning grandson of legendary sire Halo.

Widden Stud and Iskander Racing, in conjunction with US based farms Taylor Made and Winstar, have purchased equity in Southern Image, who is currently standing his first season at Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky.

“Southern Image was the most brilliant performer of his generation, winning six of eight starts including five in succession highlighted by Group One victories at 1400, 1900 and 2000 metres,” said Antony Thompson of Widden Stud.

“He won $US1.8 million or nearly $2.5 million Australian and was never out of the first three, showing the precise brand of speed, adaptability and toughness so prized by Australian breeders and yearling buyers.”

Purchased for $300,000 as a two-year-old in training at the 2002 March OBS Sale, Southern Image caught the eye of trainer Mike Machowsky after a pre-sale gallop in which the colt scorched over a furlong in a tick over 10 seconds.

“When I first laid eyes on him at the Ocala two-year old sale I knew he was the horse that I wanted. He was as good a looking horse that you would want to see and had one of the most fluid actions I have ever seen. He was all racehorse,” said Machowsky.

A winner of his only start at two in which he carved out a blazing six furlongs in 1:08 3/5, Southern Image returned at three to win the Group I Malibu Stakes over seven furlongs and at four won the Group I events the Pimlico Special and the Santa Anita Handicap over nine and ten furlongs respectively. 

Southern Image is only the third horse in history to win both the Santa Anita Handicap and Pimlico Special, joining revered champion Seabiscuit and Farma Way.

Southern Image (USA) retired with six wins from eight starts and earnings of just over $US1.8 million. He was considered one of the leading handicap horses in the nation. 

By Halo’s Image, Southern Image is from the versatile and hugely successful Halo sire line that is known throughout the world for producing dominant sires such as Sunday Silence, Saint Ballado, Devil His Due, Southern Halo and of course More Than Ready, who has made such a positive impact here in Australia.

His dam Pleasant Dixie is an unraced daughter of leading broodmare sire Dixieland Band from the stakes-winner Pleasant Jolie, a half-sister to triple Group One winner Jolie’s Halo.

It is also the very same female family responsible for producing breed shaping sires Mr Prospector and Seattle Slew.

“Pedigree wise, Southern Image seems ideally suited to the genetic landscape offered by Australian mares and in particular those carrying the blood of Danehill,” said Thompson.

“The mixing of Halo line sires over Danzig line mares and vice versa has proven to be a very potent cross, with a host of stakes-winners bred this way including Derby winner Benicio and Oaks winner Sunday Joy to name but two.”

Southern Image will shuttle from Central Kentucky to stand his first southern hemisphere season at Widden Stud in Widden Valley and his fee has been listed as $16,500 (inc gst).