Purchased as a yearling for $1,050,000 at the 2020 Magic Millions, Zarastro failed to measure up to expectation as a colt and was re-offered in 2022 on Inglis Digital where he was snapped up by Tony Gollan for $32,500 and the five year-old I Am Invincible gelding has found a new lease of life in sunny Queensland posting his second stakes win on Saturday at Eagle Farm in the $200,000 Listed BRC Magic Millions Falvelon Stakes (1200m).
Zarastro worked quickly through his grades after heading to Queensland and is thriving in his current preparation coming into this assignment off a last start win in the BRC Tattersalls Recognition Stakes.
He kept up the good work with another bold front running victory for Angela Jones, proving impossible to catch with I Am Invincible stallion Nettuno filling the quinella in second place some two and a half lengths back.
With seven wins from 16 starts and prizemoney topping $518,000, the best seems still to come for Zarastro and his big ownership group of Gollan stable clients.
Being Magic Millions eligible, all roads will lead to the Gold Coast in the immediate future with the $1m Magic Millions Cup (1400m) the target.
"I'm so proud of him, especially today, that was his acid test today," Gollan said.
"He has amazing natural speed, but he also has stamina, he is a very exciting horse.
"I thought he absorbed it well and was able to get to where he wanted in the straight.
"When Spacewalk loomed up, I knew he had a fair bit in the locker and he was dominant at 1350m only four weeks ago and the idea was always to bring him back to the 1200m today to keep the speed in his legs to give us a really good chance of being there on Magic Millions day.
"He is starting to learn a lot more about conserving his energy … We were confident if there was going to be pressure put on him today, he'd be able to absorb it."
Bred by Fairway Thoroughbreds and consigned by Segenhoe Stud, Zarastro is the first living foal of Zabeel’s speedy Group II ATC Light Fingers Stakes winner Adrift, a half-sister to the dam of Group I winner Entriviere.
Adrift has a yearling colt by I Am Invincible that is headed to Inglis Easter and she was covered by Wootton Bassett (GB) this year after missing to Extreme Choice.
