Taking on an open three year-old event for his first run back from a spell, the
Tony Gollan trained gelding led all the way to score an easy length and a
quarter win.Asked if the 1400m of a Group I Stradbroke could be a bridge too far at this stage for Zoustyle, especially seeing as he missed a run on a heavy track recently, Gollan told Brisbane Racing Club TV:
"It could be.
'The (Stradbroke Handicap) preparation is probably not ideal now after we had to scratch the other day.
"We have put the horse first the whole way along and we pulled up from trying to go for a big bonus in the summer with him.
"He is a horse like I have never had my hands on - he will come first and the rest will come second.
"There is lots of relief about his win today, I knew he would come back a better horse and it was so rewarding to see him to it on raceday.
"He even did something wrong today and he was still impressive."
Bred and raced by Desharon Bloodstock and Stableboard Bloodstock, Zoustyle has the imposing record of six wins from six starts earning over $300,000 in prizemoney.
He 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 Felicit, the dam of the Champion Older Male Miler in Germany in 2013, Felician.
The current yearling from Fashion, a filly by Choisir, made $300,000 at Inglis Easter when secured by John Foote Bloodstock/ Gollan Racing and Fashion has a weanling colt to follow by Sebring.
She is now in foal to Merchant Navy.
