News - ZOUSTAR (AUS)
A new generation of two year-olds are primed to step out this Saturday with fascinating stakes races in Sydney and Melbourne featuring the most expensive filly sold at Magic Millions this year and a smattering of runners by first season sires.
Widden Stud’s champion sire Zoustar had not one, but two impressive debut winners on Wednesday with Saturn Star at Rosehill joined by an ultra-impressive filly at Cranbourne.
Widden Stud’s champion sire Zoustar has been on a winning roll of late and promising three year-old Saturn Star kept the momentum going with a stylish debut victory against a tough field at Rosehill on Wednesday.
As predicted, it’s been a big weekend for Widden Stud’s champion sire Zoustar with Zoustyle placing in the G1 Moir Stakes, Zou Tiger third in the G1 Golden Rose and then the icing on the cake in the UK with his star Northern Hemisphere bred filly Lezoo taking out the Group I Cheveley Park Stakes (6f) at Newmarket.
The first crop of Northern Hemisphere bred two year-olds by Widden Stud’s champion sire Zoustar have made their mark this year and the Group I Cheveley Park Stakes (6f) and Group I Middle Park Stakes (6f) run at Newmarket on Saturday will both feature a runner by the Golden Rose winning son of Northern Meteor.
The first official two year-old trials at Randwick each spring are always packed with anticipation and Widden Stud young gun Trapeze Artist made his mark with a heat winner and three place-getters, while champion sire Zoustar delivered a winning double.
Heat 10 – colts – Tarabeau – 51.94 seconds
The third leg of the Darley Princess Series, the Group II ATC Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) at Randwick produced a thrilling tussle between stablemates Zougotcha and Madam Pommery with the former producing plenty of fight under pressure to win by a neck.
Impeccably-bred filly Stella Splendida justified her $1.30 favouritism when running away to a 1-1/2 length victory in the Taupo Veterinary Centre (1200m) at Taupo on Friday.
An expensive son of Zoustar, Redzoust performed below expectations at his first two starts before putting six opponents to the sword over 1100m on the Ballarat synthetic on Friday.
Zoustar filly Sweetened impressed when making a winning career debut in the bet365 Odds Drift Protector 3YO Fillies Maiden Plate (1125m) at Geelong on Thursday.
Quality Zoustar mare Kiku might be in for her best ever preparation at age five, powering home to score a last stride win in the Group II ATC Theo Marks stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Widden Stud’s Zoustar has many supporters out there and they would have been happy to wake this morning and see the champion son of Northern Meteor at the top of the Australian sire tables for general earnings and 3YO earnings.
A deteriorating track at Randwick on Saturday made the Group II ATC Furious Stakes (1200m) a survival of the fittest and Zoustar filly North Star Lass produced boundless courage to claim a narrow victory in the mud.
Zoustar has had some nice winners in his first Northern Hemisphere bred crop of two year-olds and one of them is talented filly Zouky, who made it two wins as many starts when scoring at Haydock overnight.
Impressive at the barrier trials, exciting Zoustar colt Scientist opened his race day account with a bold front running win at Warwick Farm on Wednesday to credit his dual Group I winning dam Global Glamour with her first winner.
The all-conquering Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable took the wraps off two exciting 3-year-old debutants on the Pakenham Synthetic on Friday.
John O’Shea has a stable full of talented horses at present and he was talking Golden Rose and Caulfield Guineas plans for exciting Zoustar colt Zou Tiger when he cast off maiden status at Randwick on Wednesday with a resounding first up win.
Grahame Begg had an interesting first starter at Pakenham on Monday, producing the half-sister to his Champion 2YO Written By for a winning debut.
Nine stakes races in Aus and NZ in the last week, obviously highlighted by the Group One winning return of Anamoe, but the rapid rise of Zoustar’s Zougotcha and Star Witness’s Fast Witness were also noteworthy, with both lightly raced and seemingly with more to offer.