By Chris Roots
Takedown's win in the Winterbottom Stakes was the first time in a long time owner Antony Thompson can remember the Widden Stud silks being worn on a group 1 winner.
Thompson sits in a Hong Kong hotel, a place he didn't think he would be as an owner, even last month. Thompson carries on the family tradition at Widden Stud, which enters its 150th year in the cradle of Australian racing, the Hunter Valley, next year.
Ready for more: Trainer Gary Moore walks beside Takedown in preparation for the Hong Kong International Sprint at Sha Tin on Sunday.Credit: Getty Images
It is the oldest family owned stud in the world, but until last month when the Gary Moore-trained Takedown won the Winterbottom at Ascot in Perth, its brand rather than its silks had been more associated with winning group 1 races.
"We don't race that many horses in our colours these days, but George Moore rode a lot of winners for my grandfather and father back in the day," Thompson says. "He won a lot of big races for us. It might be back then, that could be last time the colours won what would be considered a group 1.
"We still race horse these days, but usually share them with someone else and use their colours and that would have been the case with him.
"But when I gave Takedown to Gary to train he wanted him to run in the Widden colours because of the link between the families and wanted to be recognised as training for Widden.
"It has been a great partnership and goes right back to George and my grandfather.
"Now, for the first time in 150 years, the [Widden] colours will race outside Australia, and to do it with a Moore as our trainer probably is one of the best things about being here."
It has been a remarkable rise for the hulking Takedown; the horse that couldn't be sold finds himself in the racing mecca at the Longines Hong Kong International Races on Sunday after winning more than $1.5 million in stakes.
There are more reasons why Takedown shouldn't be in Hong Kong for the International Sprint than why he should.
"He wouldn't have brought a bid at the sales because of his issues; he was just too big," Thompson says. "We want to sell our horses but he was one you couldn't take to the sale.
"Usually you would look on that as a failure because the business is to breed and sell, rather than race. It has turned out to be a pretty good failure and an exciting one."
Takedown is a giant – almost 17 hands and about 620 kilograms – and he has lived up to stature. The stakes winner as a two-, three- and four-year-old, had a couple of operations to let him reach his potential.
"He had to be gelded because he would have become too big," Moore says. "He also had a tie-back operation to let him breath. He is one of those horses that as soon as we got him he was special. I could see that.
"When I came back I wanted to train for Widden and Takedown was one the first horses I got.
"He is my best horse and there's more to come from him."
Takedown will bring together the old and the new of the sport on Sunday. While Widden's roots date back to the beginning of the Australian thoroughbred industry, Hong Kong International day has built its own tradition in just 30 years as the flagship event of the racing mecca.
Sunday fulfils a dream for the flamboyant Moore, who has become better known than the horse for his winning celebrations, running down the straight to greet his horse.
"Hong Kong is one of those places you have to race a horse," Moore says. "When you have a horse like Takedown, you think of Hong Kong because the world is here.
"I have won an Arc De Triomphe as a jockey, but this is one of the biggest days of my life in racing. To be back in Hong Kong, where I rode successfully, is an honour and to win here would top it all.
"To do it in Widden colours makes it more special for me because I grew around their farm."
The push for Hong Kong had become a running joke between Thompson and Moore – the breeder, the realist, and the trainer, the dreamer – in what is a reversal of the usual roles.
"Gary told me we should go to Hong Kong before the preparation and said he is a Hong Kong horse," Thompson recalls.
"Once he won The Shorts and the Premiere Stakes, I wanted to focus on the Winterbottom Stakes, but every time I spoke to Gary it was Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
"We got to Perth and even then he was on about Hong Kong. I actually said to him 'can we win the $1 million race we are in before worrying about that'.
"He just told me, 'we'll win both'.
"We are halfway there. If [Takedown] can win, Gary will have company celebrating on Sunday."
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