Widden Stud’s Zoustar has a narrow lead over Pride of Dubai on the Australian General Sires List following a weekend that produced a new stakes-winner in Australia in Stardom and also one in the US with Lunar Impact taking out the Listed Mizdirection Stakes at Santa Anita on Sunday.
A five year-old mare bred to Northern Hemisphere time in the UK, Lunar Impact found conditions to suit in the 6 ½ f sprint on the turf.
Trained by Dan Blacker and ridden by Hector Isaac Berrios, Lunar Impact bolted in to win by five lengths over Aussie bred Pierro mare Uncorked.
The victory took her overall record to four wins from 11 starts.
Lunar Impact was bought from the 2021 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2 by Craig Rounsefell of Boomer Bloodstock/ David Redvers for 100,000 guineas.
"We always thought very highly of her," Dan Blacker said.
"It is just very vindicating today to come back off the layoff and reward the owners for being patient. You have to start with talent. She's a runner, so you have to just nurse her along and get her fit without taking too much. She is just well bred and is by a champion stallion [Zoustar].”
The 68th stakes-winner for Zoustar, Lunar Impact is the best of three winners from stakes-placed Button Moon, a half-sister to Group II winner Etlaala and to the dam of Champion European Sprinter and four time G1 winner Bataash.
