Glistening Back to Best

Good enough to contest last year’s Golden Slipper, speedy Zoustar filly Glistening had not won a race since taking out the Group II ATC Reisling Stakes last year, but she recaptured her best form at Flemington on Saturday when resuming from a spell to win the Listed VRC Moomba Stakes (1100m).

Trained by Richard and Michael Freedman, Glistening tuned up for her return with a barrier  trial at Warwick Farm last month and produced a sparkling effort for Hugh Bowman.

She led all the way in a competitive race against colts and geldings, pulling out plenty under pressure to win by half a length.

Purchased by James Harron Bloodstock/Freedman Brothers for $260,000 out of the Widden Stud draft at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Glistening has the overall record of two wins from nine starts with prizemoney in excess of $300,000.

“She had a wonderful two-year-old campaign. She won a Group 2 as a two-year-old and we had a luckless campaign last time but she was going very well,” said James Harron.

“Michael Freedman said to me this week that he doesn’t think everything could go better. Well done to him. It’s wonderful to get the result.”

She is the second live foal and second winner out of the Group III Gold Coast Guineas winner Beethog.

A daughter of Shovhog, Beethog is a half-sister to the Listed Canberra Guineas winner Rom Baro. She has a yearling filly by Nicconi that was sold by Widden Stud for $210,000 at Magic Millions this year to McEvoy Mitchell Racing/Belmont Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) and has a Zousain colt to follow.

Beethog was one of 174 mares covered last spring by Glistening’s sire Zoustar, who also went very close to siring another Group I winner with The Astrologist producing a career best performance to finish a close second in the Group I VRC Newmarket Handicap.