Magical Day for Dynamic Sire ZOUSTAR

07 Mar 21

Widden Stud boss Antony Thompson was rightfully upbeat on Saturday afternoon after a Super Day for their flagship resident Sire ZOUSTAR.

Their young stallion had a day to remember at Flemington and Randwick, highlighted by two (2) of his sons Zoutori and Indian Pacific dominating the finish to quinella the Gr 1 Newmarket H., whilst earlier two (2) ZOUSTAR juveniles delivered top performances in Sydney and Melbourne.

Super Sire ZOUSTAR

A dual Group 1 winner himself, ZOUSTAR enjoyed his magical day courtesy of his son Zoutori claiming top honours in the Gr1 Seppelt Wines Newmarket H. at the expense of fellow ZOUSTAR son Indian Pacific whilst earlier, another ZOUSTAR son Lightsaber won the Gr2 MSS Security Sires’ Produce S.

ZOUTORI winning Gr1 Newmarket

These results followed on the back of the win by ZOUSTAR filly Glistening who kicked off the day when claiming the Reisling S Gr2 at Randwick.

Widden Stud principal Antony Thompson said it was a ‘special day’ for the historic thoroughbred nursery, after witnessing their flagship sire ZOUSTAR (by Northern Meteor) take centre stage, recording a second Group 1 victor in Melbourne and the interstate Group 2 juvenile double, whilst Widden based sires landed the trifecta in the time-honoured Newmarket Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m).

GLISTENING wins Gr2 Reisling

Earlier in the day in what proved an electric 20-minute spell for ZOUSTAR, the stallion sired Group 2 juvenile winners in both Sydney and Melbourne as GLISTENING (2F ex Beethog by Shovhog) booked her spot in the Gr1 Golden Slipper with an all-the-way win in a helter-skelter run Gr2 Reisling Stakes at Randwick, holding off the challenge of another Widden Stud sired juvenile, Swift Witness by Star Witness (trained by Gai& Adrian) by a head.

Lightsaber

Then at Flemington, Lightsaber (2C ex Dream Cirque by Dream Ahead) scored an impressive victory in the Gr2 VRC Sires’ Produce (1400m).

Zoustar came within an eyelash of another Group 1 winner for the day, when Mizzy dived late but just missed in the Gr 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m), finishing a close second to Savatiano (Street Cry).

Thompson said “For ZOUSTAR to win his second Newmarket today and to watch those three horses fly up the finish was really special,”. “These are rare moments for the racecourse and certainly ones to savour.”

A field of 17 lined up in the Newmarket but it was the ZOUSTAR duo, Zoutori (5 g ex Atotori by Haradasun) and Indian Pacific, that came clear to fight out a gruelling dual to the line, with the topweight emerging victorious by a head over the raider from Western Australia, whilst Star Witness’ son Amish Boy, stuck on for third, a length adrift of the winner.

Zoutori, a three-time Group 2 winner and Group 1 runner-up in the Oakleigh Plate (1100m) prior to today’s triumph, is from the exceptional first crop of ZOUSTAR that has produced champion filly Sunlight, as well as five further Group 2 winners, including now stallions Zousain and Lean Mean Machine, and the five-year-old Zoutori had to overcome top weight of 57 kilograms to become the stallion’s second Group 1 winner.

It is not the first time Widden have produced the trifecta in a major Group 1 at Flemington over 1200 metres, as Sunlight led home a ZOUSTAR one-two-three in the Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) in 2018, defeating Zousain and Lean Mean Machine, while this was a second Newmarket victory for ZOUSTAR, after Sunlight’s win in 2019.

“The Newmarket is such a special race,” Thompson added.

“In Australian racing the Newmarket is a fabulous race and holds enormous significance in the history of Australian racing and it was a fabulous race today and we’re so lucky to see the three progeny of our stallions fighting it out. It’s one for the mantelpiece.”

“To field another Newmarket winner is fantastic. ZOUSTAR’s been in the mix with some of these Group 1s, his trifecta in the Coolmore, then a quinella again today in the Newmarket.”

“It’s hard to compare them - for ZOUSTAR to trifecta the Coolmore in his first crop, it really completed the four generations - Encosta De Lago, Northern Meteor, Zoustar, and for him to do that and for us to be there, I think was very special.”

Zoutori, who ran 4th in the 2020 Newmarket, left his rivals with no excuses after he gave them all weight and a beating.

Zoutori has now won 8 of his 28 starts and a further 10 top four finishes emphasises his consistency.

Indian Pacific (ZOUSTAR), who led on the inside, fought on strongly for second behind Zoutori with the 3-year-olds Amish Boy (Star Witness) in third ahead of Prague (Redoute’s Choice).

“It was a great day for his (ZOUSTAR’s) versatility,” said Thompson.

“His two-year old’s today were a filly and a colt, and then his three Group 1 performers with the older horses, there’s a mare and a five-year-old in there.

“We always had belief that true to the sireline, these (ZOUSTAR’s) would always be very versatile horses. It’s a sireline that has tremendous consistency and versatility and we saw that today.”

ZOUSTAR will likely have his first Golden Slipper runner since Sunlight’s third-place finish in 2018.

Freedman Brothers Stables have qualified their filly Glistening, who booked her spot for the FREEDMAN BROTHERS operation of Richard Freedman and younger brother Michael, following her front-running victory in the Gr2 Yarraman Park Reisling S.

In claiming a Group 2 win on what was just her second start, Glistening marked her first win for her trainers Richard Freedman and Michael.

A runner-up on debut in the Black Opal Preview (1100m) on February 19, she surged to the front from barrier 8, then kicked clear at the 250-metre mark and held on from the desperate lunge of the fast-finishing, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Swift Witness, with Trifaccia (I Am Invincible) in third.

Glistening became ZOUSTAR’s, 19th individual stakes winner, shortly before Lightsaber made it number 20 by winning in Melbourne.

Lightsaber was another to lead from start to finish, to claim the VRC Sires' Produce by one and a half lengths from Saif (Pride Of Dubai), who nosed out Micro (Medaglia D’Oro).

Lightsaber’s trainer is weighing-up a trip to Sydney for the Gr1 Golden Slipper, a race being targeted by ZOUSTAR’s daughter Glistening.

Lightsaber may rather head to Sydney for the Gr1 Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) on April 3.

The win by Glistening gives Richard and Michael Freedman their 2nd qualified runner for the Golden Slipper with their colt Stay Inside (Extreme Choice) who was very unlucky when pocketed up the straight when a flashing light 4th in the Todman Stakes off two prior wins.

Dynamic Syndications have purchased several yearlings in 2021 to be trained by the Freedman Brothers Team under Richard Freedman’s care.

One in particular is our glorious looking bay yearling colt by ZOUSTAR ex LOCKET (by Fastnet Rock).

Purchased at the INGLIS Classic Sale, our colt is bred on the same ZOUSTAR / DANEHILL Cross as GLISTENING, INDIAN PACIFIC, MIZZY along with other SW PERSUADER, MADAME ROUGE, HAUT BRION HER, SUN CITY, and SOLAR STAR.

Our ZOUSTAR x LOCKET Colt in the spelling paddock

Our ZOUSTAR x LOCKET Colt under saddle

Richard Freedman with Fiona and Dean Watt

Adam Watt, Richard Freedman, Fiona and Dean Watt after winning the Gloaming Stakes

We invite you to join the team to race our Widden Stud bred and raised colt with the FREEDMAN BROTHERS

5% Shares are $8,990 inc GST and ALL COSTS to 30/6/21.