Good looking Zoustar colt Space Rider has always shown glimpses of serious talent and kicked off his autumn campaign with a first up win in the $200,000 Group III Manfred Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr, Space Rider closed out his spring with an unplaced run in the Group I MRC Caulfield Guineas at 1600m, but looked fresh and ready to go for this assignment.
He loomed up three wide at the top of the straight and ran right through the line for Ethan Brown to win by half a length over his stablemate, progressive Snitzel gelding Job Done with spring stakes-winning filly Salty Pearl sneaking into third.
Space Rider is now three from three first up and has the overall record of three wins and two placings from six starts with prizemoney in excess of $220,000.
This was his first win in the colours of MyRacehorse, who are new to his ownership group and have plenty to enjoy going forward with this exciting colt.
Stable racing manager Tom Sheahan was thrilled for the new owners to have such a great result.
Ethan Brown was having his first ride on the colt and came away impressed.
"He bounced well and put himself there, but he is a big colt who needs stimulation so I was happy to have him travelling with the tempo, even though we probably hit the front a bit soon,” he said.
"I just played around with him – one on the left, one on the right – just kept him thinking but when other horses got to him he pinned his ears back and wanted to win that race."
Space Rider will now chart a path towards the Group I VRC Australian Guineas (1600m) on February 28.
Space Rider was a $500,000 Magic Millions purchase for Mick Price Racing & Breeding Pty Ltd/TFI/Dermot Farrington Bloodstock from the Longwood Thoroughbred Farm draft and is a full brother to Group III winner Brereton.
He is the second stakes-winner among six winners from seven foals to race from Group III winner Fuddle Dee Duddle, a half-sister to Group II winner Hallowell Belle and to the dam of $22million earning multiple Group I winner Bella Nipotina.
Longwood Thoroughbred Farm sold a yearling zoustar filly from Fuddle Dee Duddle at Magic Millions this year for $625,000 to James Harron Bloodstock/Michael Freedman Racing Filly Partnership/Tony Fung Fillies.
Fuddle Dee Duddle had no foal last year after slipping and was then covered again by Zoustar, who made it a race to race stakes double at Caulfield when Regal Zeus landed the Listed MRC John Dillon Stakes (1400m).
Trained by John McArdle and ridden by Jamie Mott, Regal Zeus has been in great form this preparation winning the Listed Kilmore Cup at the end of November then the Listed MRC Lord Stakes on Boxing Day.
The dashing five year-old took up his usual role as the leader and was tenacious to the line winning by a long neck to take his overall record to 11 wins from 33 starts and prizemoney over $1million.
A $150,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Regal Bloodstock / Blue Grass (FBAA) / Redgum Racing from the Edinburgh Park draft, Regal Zeus was bred by Ian Smith and is the best of two winners from Group III placed Quiet Kitten (USA), a grand-daughter of stakes-winner Darling Alice, whose daughters have had plenty of success in Australia producing Group II winner Glenfiddich and stakes-winning $2.4million earner Eleven Eleven.
Quiet Kitten was sold in the Edinburgh Park Dispersal at Magic Millions National in 2023 with Kingstar Farm picking up the mare for $120,000.
They sold a Zoustar yearling colt from her last year at Inglis Classic for $200,000 and after missing in 2023, Quiet Kitten was then covered by Zoustar’s Group I winning son Ozzmosis and produced a three-quarter brother to Regal Zeus last spring before going back to him again.
Space Rider is the 76th stakes-winner for Widden Stud’s reigning champion sire Zoustar and is his sixth in Australia this season.
