Widden Sires Quinella Group Two Stan Fox

The Group II ATC Stan Fox Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday provided another quinella for our young gun sires with Eurozone winning for ill-fated Northern Meteor over Sebring colt Criterion.

Prepared by Bart and James Cummings, Eurozone is at the end of an arduous first campaign having reeled off three straight wins before an eighth in the Group III ATC Run to the Rose and then a fine sixth in the Group I Golden Rose.

Despite the workload, Eurozone looked a million dollars in the parade ring and ran accordingly.

He travelled smoothly back in the field for Hugh Bowman and finished with a well-timed run to overhaul the favourite Aussies Love Sport and defy a late challenge from Criterion to win the 1400 metre contest by a short neck.

“He paraded excellently today and is a credit to the whole team to have kept him up for this long,” said James Cummings.

“He can go to the paddock a winner and come back for the autumn a much better colt.”

A $110,000 Magic Millions purchase for DGR Thoroughbreds from the draft of Carramar Park, Eurozone has the overall record of four wins from six starts with prizemoney of $321,580.

One of five stakes-winners for ill-fated Northern Meteor, Eurozone is a three-quarter brother to Group II winner Miss Marielle, who is by Northern Meteor’s sire Encosta de Lago.

Bred by Phillip Chen and foaled at Carramar Park, Eurozone is the fifth winner from Group III winning Don’t Say Halo (USA) mare Miss Vandal.

Runner-up Criterion was having his third run back from a spell and is approaching peak fitness, so his trainer David Payne will be sure to have further spring goals for him.