The $1million Group 1 ATC Coolmore Classic (1500m) is one of the real blue riband races a mare can win with the honour roll saturated with champions such as Sunline and Winx and on Saturday talented four-year-old ZOUSTAR mare ZOUGOTCHA adding her name to the honour roll at Rosehill on Saturday.
ZOUGOTCHA winning the Gr1 Coolmore Classic
Carrying top weight of 57kg, ZOUGOTCHA looked good when beating subsequent Group 1 winner Lady Laguna when resuming from a spell to win the Group 3 ATC Millie Fox Stakes last month and under a perfect ride by James McDonald was able to add a second Gr1 win to her resume.
She surged to the line to score over late closers Semana and Kimochi.
ZOUGOTCHA ($3.30 favourite) was given a "Group 1 ride" from McDonald and scored by a short neck from the fast-finishing Semana ($12) with Kimochi ($11) a half-head away third.
Her trainer said “It's good to have her (Zougotcha) back. She showed last start that the writing was on the wall and that a horse we expected to be there in the spring was back.
"She has backed that up today with a tough win under handicap conditions giving weight away to every other horse in the race.”
This win meant a lot to champion jockey James McDonald as indicated when he rose high in the irons and gave a victory salute to the crowd after ZOUGOTCHA held off a wave of challengers in a thrilling finish.
James McDonald was full of praise for ZOUGOTCHA and her dedication to the task at hand.
"At the furlong, I didn't think I could win," McDonald said.
"I felt I was near empty and credit to her, she pinned her ears back and had a great crack. She's just a top-class mare that's trained to the minute."
"Zougotcha has won with a good horse's weight (57kg)," McDonald said.
"We're talking like Sunline and those types of horses that have carried obviously a little bit more than her but still a proper horse's weight and she had to lug it out a fair way on testing ground.
"I couldn't be more proud of her."
ZOUGOTCHA was a $500,000 Inglis Easter purchase from Widden Stud.
ZOUGOTCHA has recorded seven wins from 14 starts with prizemoney just shy of $1.7million and looks set for further success as the autumn carnival unfolds.
Waller admitted he was wrong to try to turn ZOUGOTCHA into a sprinter for The Everest last spring when she struggled to recapture her best form.
"We tried to make her sprint and she just wasn't quite that type of model – but put her in a few extra hundred metres and that's the difference," Waller said.
The talented four-year-old mare set all sorts of records including:
● Zougotcha became the first Coolmore winner to carry the No.1 saddlecloth since the great Sunline shouldered 60kg in 2002.
● She is also the first Flight Stakes winner to return as a four-year-old and win the Coolmore since dual winner Sunline achieved the feat in 2000.
● Zougotcha is the first favourite to win the feature mares race since Aloha in 2011.
● Jockey James McDonald rode the 90th Group 1 winner of his career with his first Coolmore success.
Owner-breeder Antony Thompson was in awe of Zougotcha's effort.
"These big handicaps are so hard to win, particularly these mares races," Thompson said.
"But Zougotcha is so classy and when you have a great jockey aboard, it does make it a little bit easier and give you that extra confidence."
Sensational Sire ZOUSTAR keeps churning out the big winners and his stats are amazing.
Did You Know? ZOUSTAR is on track to break the Australian record for the most number of winners and wins from his progeny in a single season, while he is the only sire with three (3) individual Group 1 winners in 2023/24 !
ZOUSTAR - Sire
Commenced stud duties in Australia in 2014, Great Britain in 2019.
Champion 1st, 2nd and 3rd Season Sire
Leading Australian First Season Sire in 2017-18.
Leading Australian Sire of 3YOs in 2018-19.
Champion Sire in Singapore in 2019 & 2020.
Yearlings have sold up to $3 million
ZOUSTAR is due for a SERVICE FEE increase for this season off his $220,000 Service Fee in 2023.
So far in 2024 there has been Yearlings Sold: 49, Ave $407,040 Median $380,000, Top $1,300,000
ZOUSTAR is currently the Leading Australian Sire by WINNERS and Third (3rd) by EARNINGS.
He is the sire of: Runners: 822; Winners: 570 (69.4%) Wins: 1611; Stakes Horses: 95;
Stakes Winners: 49 (7 Gr1); Stakes Wins: 95; Stakes Placed 46; Earnings $108,015,066.
In the current 2023-24 Racing Season ZOUSTAR is the Sire of 12 Stakes Winners and 15 Stakes Placegetters.
Team Dynamic wish to share the following pictorial with our Owners and Followers of our ZOUSTAR x SLOW THE FLOW Yearling Filly we purchased at the Magic Millions this year.
Our ZOUSTAR x SLOW THE FLOW Filly at the yearling sales 9 January
Lot 202 - Zoustar x Slow the Flow - With Ciaron Maher from Dynamic Syndications on Vimeo.
ZOUSTAR x SLOW THE FLOW 17 January after arriving from yearling sales
ZOUSTAR x SLOW THE FLOW on 29 January; 2 weeks after the yearling sale
Our yearling is allowed to
graze in the paddock, unwinding from the hustle and bustle of a 10-week
yearling sales preparation and then, the 7 to 10 days of hectic saleyard
parades.
ZOUSTAR x SLOW THE FLOW Filly running free in the paddock 7 February
Paired-Up! FARNAN x INVINCIBLE DIVA with ZOUSTAR x SLOW THE FLOW
Our Fillies PLAYING in the paddock 7 February
With all our Team Dynamic yearling purchases, we like to give them 4-6 weeks to unwind and
get over that experience, allowing the high protein feed and
supplements that they have been fed to pass through their system, and
allow these young horses the opportunity to get back in touch with nature, roaming
freely and playing in the paddock with a mate of two before undertaking
the process of being taught to be a horse and to be ridden.
The work done here is as vital as the work leading into a Group 1 race.
Shortcuts, or poor horsemanship can be the difference between failure or success at this vital stage of a young horse’s ultimate career.
We are desperate to ensure they are given the best care and attention, and we believe this is our “ace in the pack” having the services of Australia’s Leading Horseman – Shane Rose.
ADAM WATT and SHANE ROSE
STEP 1: Undercover round yard:
Learning to respond to pressure on mouth on long reins
STEP 2: Outside Round Yard:
Same process in an open environment for further stimuli
STEP 3: FIRST RIDE: Responding from what she has been initially taught
now the process of a rider on her back and responding to commands of the rider.
SHANE ROSE - Australia's Best Horseman takes control.
Leading from tie-up stalls to undercover round yard for first experience.
SHANE ROSE gives the horse confidence as he puts weight on her back
All Smiles as SHANE is safely aboard without resentment from the filly
Moving well under SHANE ROSE responding to his requests
STEP 4: Riding outside with various environmental stimuli
Walking around on the outside exercise track
GOLD STAR! - This filly is a quick learner
From the start to completion depending upon the individual horse, it will take between 4 to 6 weeks to graduate “Kindergarten.” This is where they are taught to respond to touch and pressure, and work with a rider not against the rider, laying the foundations for success.
Bred by Gerry Harvey, he liked the filly to such an extent, he has purchased back a "leg" (25%), to race in co-ownership with our Dynamic Owners.
It was a “No Brainer” for Gerry when we purchased the filly and gave it to CIARON MAHER to train her.
After all, Ciaron is Australia’s Number 1 Trainer of Winners.
Obviously, our Leading VIP Dynamic Ownership Team Members agree, as they have jumped aboard to race such a well-bred filly with looks to match.
Type and Residual are regularly the most successful recipe.
That’s why we can proudly announce we have only 5% to go to complete her co-ownership team.
This can be offered in combinations of: 1 x 5% Share or alternatively 2 x 2.5% Shares.
A 5% Share is $16,930 and 2.5% Shares are $8,465.
Don’t Miss Out!
When Class Matters - Call Adam Watt at Dynamic Syndications on 02 9540 1511 or 0409 464 378 and have a chat.