Widden Stud Cheer Zestful Win

A lightly raced Redoute’s Choice mare bred to Northern Hemisphere time, the Kris Lees trained Zestful booked her ticket to the $400,000 Provincial Championships Final at Randwick next month with a brilliant win at Gosford in the $100,000 Qualifier on Thursday.

A Breednet ‘One to Watch’ when winning on debut at Canterbury in January last year, Zestful was sidelined with injury after just one more start, but looks set to fulfil her potential now in the care of Kris Lees.

Zestful tackled the qualifier third-up from her long spell and aided by a confident Kerrin McEvoy ride was able to get home and win the 1200 metre dash by three-quarters of a length.

“She took a little bit of settling today,” McEvoy said.

“I was wanting a bit of cover a lot earlier than I ended up getting it.

“I didn’t envisage I’d be that close to the front but she took me there and I was able to work with her.

“By the time we got to the 800m I was pretty happy and she put the race away once we turned for home.”

Initially trained by Sam Kavanagh, Zestful has now won three of five starts earning over $100,000 in prizemoney with more in store.

“She’s a high class mare,” said Kris Lees.

“She came to me as a high class mare so it’s good to get her back to that type of form.”

Zestful was a $90,000 Magic Millions National Sale purchase from the draft of Bellerive Stud and runs for Widden Stud’s Antony Thompson and his good mate Paul Frampton.

A half-sister to Group III placed Zedazest and to the dam of Group II winner Military Rose, Zestful is the seventh winner from 11 to race from Zest, a half-sister to multiple Group I winner and leading sire Zeditave from the family of Group I stars such as Melito, Greys Inn and Norzita.

As a winning blue-blooded daughter of champion sire Redoute’s Choice, Zestful will make an appealing broodmare prospect for the future and even more so if she can measure up to Black Type company.