It has been a red-letter day for Godolphin, and the top-class Brazen Beau mare Zapateo played her part with a hard-fought victory in the Group III Neds How Now Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
Ridden by Damien Oliver for James Cummings, Zapateo came with a well-timed finish to defeat the Lavish Girl (Xtravagant) by one and a quarter lengths with Chain Of Lightning (Fighting Sun) a short-head back in third.
Zapateo won the Listed Denise’s Joy Stakes and Group III Toy Show Quality before finishing sixth behind Eduardo at her most recent start in the Group III Concorde Stakes at Randwick.
With her third stakes success, Zapateo advances he record to five wins and four seconds from 11 starts with earnings of $557,800.
“Her return in the Toy Show was a solid performance. She was probably out of her depth last start in pretty atrocious conditions<” stable rep Sean Keogh said.
“It was a funny set-up that race (the Concorde). There were horses rated 15 to 20 rating points ahead of her.
“She’s had some soft and wet track form, and we were pretty confident how she was sent down to us from Sydney. She got off the float during the week and looked like she was here for business.
“She’s a well-bred filly, a half-sister to Osborne Bulls and is only on the up and up. It was a great win today.”
Oliver said he was impressed how strong Zapateo was at the finish.
“It’s been a while since we’ve had some storms like this. It’s been a testing day for everyone, but it’s good we got through,” Oliver said.
“She’s not the tallest mare, but she’s definitely filled out. I did have a lot to do with her early doors. I had a bit of time for her and did learn a bit about her. If you give her a bit of a cuddle early, she’s got a good finish. She showed that today.
“She handled the conditions well and gave me a strong kick.”
Zapateo is the fifth of six foals left by the Lonhro mare Jerezana before her premature death in 2019.
Winner of the Listed Ramornie Handicap, Jerezana is the dam of high-class Street Cry (IRE) gelding Osborne Bulls. His nine wins from 20 starts included the Group II VRC TAB Stakes, Listed Regal Roller Stakes and Listed Luskin Star Stakes. He was runner-up in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap, Group 1 All-Aged Stakes, Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes, Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes, and third in The Everest. The son of Street Cry (IRE) banked $2,871,760.
The final foal of Jerezana is the unraced 3yo Street Boss (USA) colt, Zaragoza.
Jerezana’s half-sister Patina (Anabaa) is the dam of the Group II Roman Consul Stakes winner Viridine (Poet’s Voice).
