Widden Stud’s Zoustar was the leading sire of winners in the world for 2024 with a final tally of 295 including 22 stakes-winners and he’s wasted no time getting on the board for 2025 with his talented son Patch of Theta scoring a dominant win in the Group III Chinese Club Challenge Cup (1400m) at Sha Tin on New Year’s Day.
A five year-old gelding trained by Francis Lui, Patch of Theta has made good progress through the grades and put the writing on the wall in November when cruising to an easy win in the Class Two Chevalier Cup.
Given a trial to have him ready for his first try at a stakes race, Patch of Theta powered to the line for Karis Teetan to win by nearly two lengths taking his overall record to six wins and eight placings from 14 starts, so has never finished worse than top three.
Francis Lui will consider a tilt with Patch Of Theta at the HK$13 million G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m), a race he won twice with the great champion Golden Sixty.
“He showed he’s a really honest horse and he keeps improving every time. After the race, he (Teetan) told me the horse was very good and he’s got a third gear, not a second gear,” Lui said.
“Of course, we’ll think about trophy races. Now he can run between 1400m and 1600m, next time we will think about the Stewards’ Cup (on 19 January).”
Karis Teetan was also impressed and believes there is more to come.
“I still think this horse once he knows how to race properly, he’s going to be even better. But with that weight on his back, he went through them and when I got into the straight, he changed gears pretty quickly,” he said.
Patch of Theta was a $550,000 Magic Millions purchase from Edinburgh Park for the Hong Kong Jockey Club and is a half-brother to Group III placed Spoils from stakes-placed General Nediym mare Fortune of War, a half-sister to Group winners Sertorius, Pretty Brazen, Pretty Amazing, Dollar for Dollar and Clifton Red.
Fortune of War was sold as part of the Edinburgh Park Dispersal in 2023 at Magic Millions to Darling View Thoroughbreds in WA for $130,000 in foal to Lonhro and produced a colt from the mating. She was covered last year by their resident champion sire Playing God.
Patch of Theta is the 61st stakes-winner for Zoustar, who has 39 entries for Magic Millions.
