Zoustar Mares Sparkle at Flemington for G2 Double
Zoustar’s champion mare Sunlight was in hot form at Flemington on Saturday winning the Group II VRC Gilgai Stakes as her lead up to the $14million Everest, but she wasn’t the only Group winner on the card by Widden Stud’s young super sire.
The Tony and Calvin McEvoy trained Sunlight was back to her brilliant best at her third run back from a spell, leading all the way as favourite to beat top class sprinter Santa Ana Lane by a length with another progressive Zoustar sprinter in Zoutori grabbing third place.
A $300,000 Magic Millions purchase for Aquis/McEvoy Mitchell Racing/Blue Sky Bstock from the Widden Stud draft, Sunlight was bred in partnership by Widden Stud, whose Katie Thompson also shares in her ownership.
A Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner as a juvenile and a triple Group I winner at three, Sunlight has the impressive record of 11 wins and six placings from 19 starts with prizemoney now topping $4.6 million.
Sunlight made it a winning double at Flemington for Zoustar with his progressive four year-old mare Haut Brion Her claiming her first Black Type win in the Group II VRC Blazer Stakes over 1400 metres.
Retained to race by her breeders who include Peter Liston of Three Bridges Thoroughbreds, Haut Brion Her has been handled patiently by Waller and allowed to maker way quietly through the restricted grades.
Second at her first two runs in Melbourne following a hat-trick of wins in Sydney, Haut Brion Her out it altogether in this 1400 metre assignment, leading all the way to score a three-quarter length win for Michael Walker.
“She didn’t handle Moonee Valley. She laboured around Caulfield and then today at Flemington with a nice sweeping bend and the long straight, it really suited her better,” Waller’s Melbourne stable representative Jo Taylor said.
“She was able to balance up and then finish her race off as well as we know she can.”
Haut Brion Her has the impressive record of five wins and three placings from eight starts with prizemoney just shy of $400,000.
A half-sister to Group III winner Karacatis and stakes-winner Shamillion, Haut Brion Her is the third stakes-winner for terrific producer One in a Million, a Group II placed daughter of Redoute’s Choice.
One in a Million died earlier this year and Haut Brion Her is her final foal.
Haut Brion Her is the 11th stakes-winner for Zoustar and interestingly is the very first stakes-winner worldwide to have a double cross of champion sire Redoute’s Choice.
