It’s a new season and a fresh slate for our young second crop sires whose oldest progeny have just turned three and while there is a long way to go, Widden Stud will be happy if the second crop sire table remains looking just like this.
With four winners from 11 runners, Zousain has hit the ground running and even better his best horse from last season, the quality filly Drifting returned in top form to win the Group III MRC Quezette Stakes last Saturday at Caulfield.
It’s one thing to get a two year-old stakes-winner that never recaptures that form again when it’s rivals mature and catch up to put them all on an even playing field and it’s quite another to have one that comes back and makes the required progress to keep up.
Drifting is fast, adaptable and by all accounts from Peter Snowden is an easy filly to train, so her placement this season will be interesting.
The other three winners for Zousain have come at Sunshine Coast, Kembla and Pakenham and interestingly his other good filly from last season Chateau Miraval is entered for the Group II ATC Silver Shadow Stakes on Saturday following two strong recent trials.
Breeders have really got behind Zousain, who has covered 762 mares in his first four seasons so there will be a lot of people cheering him on and interestingly his second crop is larger than his first which is somewhat unusual.
Zousain has had a fee increase to $27,500 for this spring and will no doubt be a more affordable option than his sire Zoustar, who stands for ten times that fee.
