Progressive Zoustar gelding Zoumon went to the post a well backed favourite in the Listed ATC McKell Cup (2000m) Rosehill on Saturday and gave everything he had under pressure to fight off all challengers and win by a head.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained four year-old was well rated by Tim Clark in front at his second run back from a spell and was strong to the line to beat the persistent Bold Mac taking his overall record to six wins and two placings from 18 starts with prizemoney just shy of $450,000.
"He was well set up after that nice return over 1800, stepping to 2000 with the drop in weight, it looked a really good race for him," Clark said.
"He really had to dig deep there at the furlong when Jase (Collett on Bold Mac) came off my back and he was really in for the fight."
"There was a bit of pressure throughout, but he loves this distance," said Adrian Bott.
"With his light weight (53kg), Tim was able to make it a true staying test. Tim rated him nicely, kept building into it and when they challenged him, he was able to find."
It was the first stakes win for Zoumon, who will now chase further Black Type success with Bott indicating a winter Cups campaign was on the agenda with likely options being Caloundra Cup (2400m) at the Sunshine Coast on July 1 and Grafton Cup (2350m) on July 13.
A $360,000 Magic Millions purchase for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing/Mt Hallowell Stud from the Element Hill draft, Zoumon is the best of three winners from stakes-winning Monsun mare Monblue (GB), who sadly passed away last year.
A half-sister to two stakes-winners, Monblue is from Germans takes-winner Salonblue, who won up to 2000m and comes from a family packed with stakes-winning European stayers including 2022 Champion German 3YO Sammarco.
Zoumon is the 37th stakes-winner for Widden Stud’s champion sire Zoustar and is his first in Australia at a distance beyond 1600m.
