Widden Stud’s champion sire Zoustar has been a powerhouse of winners and stakes-winners this year and has made his presence felt in North America where his talented colt King of Gosford won the $100,500 Listed Desert Code Stakes at Santa Anita on Sunday.
The three year-old colt had six starts in Ireland last year for one win at Dundalk, but has made rapid progress since transferring across the Atlantic to the stable of Phil D’Amato.
He’s had three runs for his new trainer at Santa Anita on the grass and has won them all!
A last start winner of the Listed John Shear Stakes last month, King of Gosford made it back to back stakes wins when turning in a tenacious effort to win the six and a half furlong sprint by a neck.
A 32,000 guinea purchase from Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 3, King of Gosford has now won four of nine starts and is the first winner from stakes-winner Harbour Watch mare Miss Sugars.
He is the first stakes-winner among five winners in North America for Zoustar, whose shuttling to Tweenhills Stud in the UK has produced a good number of Northern Hemisphere bred horses that include Lezoo, who was the Champion European 2YO Filly of 2022.
Zoustar has had a fee increase for 2024 and stands at $275,000, up from $220,000 last year.
