Placed in the Group I ATC Randwick Guineas, Golden Rose and Group II ATC Hobartville Stakes last year as a colt, talented four year-old Zou Tiger has always promised to win a stakes race and finally got the job done as a gelding scoring a stylish victory in the $200,000 Listed ATC Carrington Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Trained by John O’Shea and ridden by Zac Lloyd, Zou Tiger was having his third run back from a spell after being gelded and was fit and ready to fire. He gave his rider an easy task, travelling on the pace and kicking clear for a dominant three length win.
It was just the second win for Zou Tiger, who has the overall record of two wins and seven placings from 13 starts with prizemoney topping $540,000. With this confidence building win under his belt it should be onwards an upwards for Zou Tiger.
A $200,000 Inglis Classic purchase for his trainer from the Widden Stud draft, Zou Tiger runs for a syndicate headed by Ron Finemore with Widden Stud and his co-breeders also retaining an interest.
Zou Tiger is a half-brother to Group II winner Daisies and stakes-placed Motown Lil being the fifth winner from five foals to race from Tigress Lily, a winning Snitzel grand-daughter of NZ Horse of the Year Tycoon Lil.
Widden Stud will offer the yearling colt by Written By from Tigress Lily at Inglis Easter as Lot 350. Tigress Lily has a colt by So You Think to follow and is now in foal to Widden Stud’s young sire Jacquinot.
There are two more yearlings from this family to be offered at Inglis Easter – Lot 86 –Colt So You Think x Itz Lily, dam is a sister to Tigress Lily and Lot 167- Filly Written Tycoon x Motown Lil, dam is a half-sister to Zou Tiger.
Zou Tiger is the 48th stakes-winner for champion sire Zoustar and is his seventh in Australia this season.
