A filly closely related to a four-time Group 1 winner from a strong Kembla Grange form race has impressed at just her second start, winning with ease.
The opening event at Wagga’s two-day carnival, the Budget Riverina 2YO Showcase Handicap (1200m) turned into a one act affair as Torryburn Stud’s homebred Zoustar filly Stardom dashed clear to win by more than three lengths.
Third on debut in a Kembla Grange maiden which is turning out to be a strong form race as the Peter Snowden trained winner Akaysha (Capitalist) has since gone to town and finished a close up second behind promising Farnan colt Grand Eagle, while the runner-up Beadman (Snitzel) went on to break his maiden at his very next start by just shy of two lengths.
Straight to the lead from a wide barrier, jockey Jett Stanley was happy to maintain that position throughout, sprinting clear in the home straight to break her maiden by a tick over three lengths.
Noted working home strongly into second was the John O’Shea and Tom Charlton trained Zousain colt Buckeye, giving the Widden Stud-based father-son duo a one-two finish.
Retained to race by breeder Torryburn Stud, Stardom is the third winner out of the Group 3 ATC PJ Bell Stakes winner Diddums (Snitzel), herself a half-sister to the four-time Group 1-winning, Hong Kong superstar Voyage Bubble (Deep Field).
Speaking to Torryburn Stud’s Stud Manager Mel Copelin, it was clear from day one the filly was something special.
“The filly was a standout since birth and we had followed the momentum of the Waterhouse and Bott stable,” stated Copelin. “We had promised a filly to the stable, and Bruce Slade and Adrian selected her from the paddock.”
“As an early looking runner from the start, she was always earmarked to be retained and with Voyage Bubble continuing his outstanding run in Hong Kong, she was one we didn’t want to let go.”
After missing to Maurice the following season, Diddums foaled a filly by Swettenham Stud’s Toronado and is due to foal a full sibling to Stardom in the next breeding season.
The sire of 65 stakes winners highlighted by 10 individual Group 1 winners, Zoustar currently sits in second position on the Australian General Sires’ table, with the Widden Stud based sire set to stand at a fee of $275,000 (inc. GST) in the spring.
