After racing through his classes with four dominant wins, the three-year-old Zoustar gelding Zoustyle passed his first stakes test with flying colours when keeping his unbeaten record intact in Saturday's Listed Gold Edition Plate (1200m) at Doomben.
With record rider Brad Stuart in the saddle, the Tony Gollan-trained gelding led all the way for a three-quarter length win over his fast-finishing stablemate Outback Barbie in a slick 1: 8.23 seconds.
"I really enjoyed that. As proud as I was of Outback Barbie running home into second that was a special win," Gollan told AAP.
"I have had a lot of good horses over the past 20 years but I don't know if any are as good as him.
"The strange thing is that Zoustyle is only racing in Australia after failing an X-ray on his legs to go to Hong Kong.
"There is one of those stories every year. It is an example of how it isn't the end of the world if they fail an X-ray."
Zoustyle is now in line for a $500,000 three-year-old bonus if he can win the Vo Rogue Plate at Doomben in a fortnight although Golan said he was not a certain starter.
"He is not a Magic Millions horse so the Guineas is out of the question. I will have a good talk with the owners and then we can work out about the Vo Rogue," he said.
Bred and raced by Desharon Bloodstock and Stableboard Bloodstock, Zoustyle is the second foal of the Anabaa mare Fashion (GER) who was a stakes-placed winner in Germany.
A daughter of the stakes-winning Acatenango mare Felina, Fashion (Ger) is a half-sister to the Group III winner Felicity (Inchinor) who in turn is the dam of the Champion Older Male Miler in Germany in 2013, Felician (Motivator).
Fashions' yearling Choisir colt has been nominated for the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale and she foaled a Sebring filly on August 5.
Zoustyle becomes the sixth stakes-winner for Widden Stud's high-flying Zoustar who is setting up a commanding lead for champion second-crop sire.
