Zoustar G3 Winx Guineas Quinella

The $300,000 Group III Winx Guineas (1600m) was postponed from last Saturday at the Sunshine Coast due to a rain soaked track and while the track on Sunday was still a heavy 9 it was a safe surface with Widden Stud’s champion sire Zoustar delivering a quinella with progressive gelding Xidaki edging out the Victorian trained filly Miss Aria.

Winner of the Listed Canberra Guineas in March, the Peter and Paul Snowden trained Xidaki has been in work since well before Christmas, but has maintained his form and was strong to the line for Vlad Duric to score a head win in his first try at 1600m.

Xidaki takes out the Winx Guineas in a thrilling finish for @SnowdenRacing1. pic.twitter.com/uluqey0KeY

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 14, 2024

“It has been a bit stop and start with him but he’s just such a genuine racehorse. He’s a real giver, he’s a real trier and those sort of horses get these wins,” said Peter Snowden.

“The preparation I gave him, I’ve been doubting myself all week and when we didn’t front up last week I thought it would be too hard a job but the horse that beat him I think has won two since he him.

“It is tremendous effort. Good effort by the team again to come up and keep him up. I’ve got to say that I was worried. They weren’t the instructions we gave there before the race, to get that far back.

“But he rounded them up quick and he was very strong late.”

Retained to race by his breeder, Xidaki is the best of four winners from four foals to race from minor winning General Nediym mare Athanea, who claims blue hen Lady Giselle, the dam of Zabeel as her third dam. This branch of the family has also produced dual Group I winning sire Hallowed Crown.

Athanea has been a regular visitor to Widden Stud and had a filly by Trapeze Artist last spring and was then covered by Portland Sky.

Xidaki is one of 17 Australian stakes-winners this season for Zoustar, who will cover a full book this spring at a fee of $275,000.