Ciaron Maher and David Eustace are hoping to target the $10million Golden Eagle (1500m) in the spring with talented Zoustar colt Zoology, who was last seen finishing second in the Group III Jersey Stakes ay (7f) at Royal Ascot.
Raced by Qatar Racing and trained by James Ferguson, Zoology has had five starts for two brilliant wins and was fourth in the Group III Greenham Stakes before his good run at Royal Ascot last month.
Qatar Racing have sold a half share in the colt with David Redvers confirming the sale.
“After Royal Ascot, a 50 per cent share in Zoology was bought by Ciaron Maher for a significant sum and the plan is to aim him at the Golden Eagle Stakes in Sydney later in the year,” Redvers told Racing Post.
"James Ferguson has done a great job with the horse but it was purely a commercial decision. The long and short of it is that they wanted to move Zoology into their system so he has left James Ferguson and joined Harry Eustace, who is brother of Ciaron’s training partner David.
“It's highly unlikely that the horse will run again here but he’s with Harry until he goes to Sydney for their spring.”
Zoustar went close to winning the Golden Eagle in 2019 when his champion daughter Sunlight finished second to Kolding and he also had the third place-getter Mizzy.
Bred in the Northern Hemisphere, Zoology is one of 39 winners for champion sire Zoustar conceived in his first two crops of foals resulting from his shuttling to Tweenhills Stud.
The best of them is last year’s Champion European 2YO Filly Lezoo, who will run in the Group III Hackwood Stakes (6f) at Newbury on Saturday with Frankie Dettori to ride.
Zoustar is riding high in Australia this season with 181 winners of $15.9million highlighted by eight stakes-winners, plus one in New Zealand. The champion son of Northern Meter is fully booked at Widden Stud this spring at a fee of $220,000.
