Latest news with #Zoustar
News.com.au
19-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Tamworth previews: Lyle Chandler's import ready to make long awaited Aussie debut
Scone conditioner Lyle Chandler can throw his hat into the ring for the training performance of the season should the fascinating import Zelestial win at her Aussie debut, two years after her Irish one. Zelestial was foaled in England on January 31 in 2021 but is at least 'half-Australian' given she is a daughter of our own one-time dual hemisphere shuttle sire Zoustar. Her dam, Maderina, who was stakes-placed in France, is a daughter of the Champion 2000m/2400m horse Duke Of Marmalade while Zelestial's next two dam-sires Galileo and Rainbow Quest were peerless in their eras. With such epic bloodlines, Zelestial is being groomed to one day join the elite Kia Ora Stud broodmare band but showed too much in her two Irish runs not to saddle-up and go around in Australia. Fifth on debut at Navan to subsequent Group 3 winner and now Australian resident, Givemethebeatboys, Zelestial hasn't raced since finishing down the order at Listowel on June 4, 2023. She has however, trialled twice in the Hunter region, winning both of them with authority despite the slender margins. 'She had some foot issues like normal Europeans have when they come to Australia; they don't tend to have the best feet, ' Chandler explained. 'She was always showing a nice deal of ability but she was also just struggling to adapt to Australia. 'She has always had a good deal of fortitude, eating well, etc, etc and doing well in the stable but the Farm (Kia Ora) has had to be patient with her.' That patience could reap a tangible reward when Chandler sends Zelestial around in the Functions @ The TJC Maiden Handicap (1200m). 'She is definitely ready to race,'' Chandler says. 'I would say normally a 1200m at Tamworth would be a little bit short for her but I am thinking maybe with a bit of rain and if the tempo is strong, it may favour her to run on a bit and possibly win. 'I'd expect her to be very competitive at 1400m but at 1200m we are going to need all the favours.' Chandler is best known for his exploits with the eight-times winner of $632,800 Banju, whose primary win came at Tamworth in the town's Cup in April 2023. Banju gets the gap and takes out the Tamworth Cup for @Aaronbullock90 and Lyle Chandler! ðŸ�† — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 21, 2023 It's not only Banju and Chandler who have a grand record at the venue, his 'Get Out Stakes' hopeful Zenti is one for one at the Tablelands track. The son of Exosphere aims to maintain his unbeaten tag there today when he leads the field out in the 2TM Sports Show Benchmark 66 Handicap over 1000m. '1000m is probably short of his best, he likes to get out more to that 1200m mark where he can just have his own way a bit,'' Chandler said. 'I think from a nice draw, I certainly wouldn't be surprised if he ran a place.' Chandler's renaming runner on the card is Ladyking whose last-start seventh of 12 at Muswellbrook contained significant 'hidden merit'. 'I thought it was really good,'' Chandler says. 'It ended up being the fastest last 600m and she obviously drew a bad gate there and had drawn a slightly bad gate again at Tamworth. 'She will run another nice race, and she's not far off winning, but I think just because you've got to give away a little bit of a start, that might give her too much to do late.' Ladyking shapes as a broodmare os some worth when she calls it a day on the score of her third dam being the Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner, Our Fiction. â– â– â– â– â– 'He's got some screws loose': Dennett's big challenge Trainer Melissa Dennett has the Widden bred gelding Maxandus in peak physical condition ahead of his Maiden mission on Tuesday but isn't as certain about the horse's mind. The son of Silver Slipper hero Headwater has handed in two rock solid runs to start his career, both of them at home at Tamworth but saddled with the visitor's draw each time. Maxandus has a more desirable barrier in Tuesday's Concrete Industry Country Boosted Maiden Plate (1000m) paving the way for a breakthrough win provided he doesn't beat himself. 'He's got the ability,'' Dennett says. 'But he is probably one of the hottest horses we've ever had. 'He's got some screws loose, put it that way. He doesn't do himself any favours pre-race. 'The outside draws have been good in the past because he goes in and is out before too long, but if he holds himself together in the barriers, that is the perfect draw (3). Maxandus hails from a family made famous by the late Geoff and Beryl White who bred and raced close relation Eremein whose dozen wins included the AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes, AJC Derby, Rosehill Guineas and BMW Stakes. Dennett meanwhile has the found the perfect race for the barn's slick sprinters Zampano and Takanakuy who will briefly become rivals when they square off in the 2TM Sports Show Benchmark 66 Handicap (1000m). One-time boom galloper Zampano is back home in more ways than one after a trip to Sydney for a recent TAB Highway tilt where he finished a respectable fourth. “Goes alright, doesn’t it?â€�- Understatement of the day from @AshMorgan6 after winning the Romantic Dream aboard Zampano @SkyRacingAU @HodderBelinda — Ben Walker (@walkerb83) April 26, 2024 'To be honest, we actually thought he would run better, we were pretty confident,'' Dennett said. 'The track was quite doughy. Ash (Morgan) got off him and said bring him back down but on a better track. 'And it was his first trip away from home too. He's only a young horse, lightly-raced, and he certainly didn't disgrace himself. 'At the 200m, I thought he was going to drop out and run last so he didn't embarrass us anyway and he's pulled up really well.' Not many horses in the last race can boast a better set of numbers than Dennett's honest mare Takanakuy who has won twice at the track and trip but has never managed to place on rain affected ground. 'She's as tough as they come and she always turns up but she won't want it wet,'' Dennett said.
South China Morning Post
14-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Californiatotality digs deep for fifth win of the season as Tony Cruz hits another milestone
Californiatotality (inside) and Alexis Badel get on top late to win at Happy Valley. Photo: Kenneth Chan The impressive Californiatotality continued his march up the ratings with his fifth win of the campaign at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. In a well-run Class Two Choi Hung Handicap (1,650m), Tony Cruz's improver sat midfield under Alexis Badel behind the pace set by Telecom Fighers and stalking $2 favourite Soleil Fighter. Badel was hard at work against the rail at the end of the back straight and Californiatotality looked in trouble, but the Zoustar gelding responded well to his urgings and once in the clear, he scuttled up the rail to beat Soleil Fighter by a neck. And bigger targets could now await the four-year-old, who ran in two legs of this year's Classic Series. Tony Cruz double at Happy Valley! ✌️ Five wins this season for the 4YO by Zoustar, who captures consecutive Class 2s with @AlexisBadel in the plate...#HappyWednesday | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) May 14, 2025 'He's a versatile horse – this distance was a bit short but he had a good gate and had every chance to win,' said Cruz. 'His next run will be in the Group Three Premier Plate on June 22 at Sha Tin over 1,800m. There's nowhere else to go with the horse – 1,800m is the perfect distance for him.' The win means Californiatotality is two-from-two at Class Two level and he has the same record under jockey Badel, who was full of praise for his willing partner. 'He's lovely. He actually surprised me. I didn't have such [high] expectation and he did very well,' said Badel. HK Racing News Get updates direct to your inbox Sign up Best Bets Racing News By registering you agree to our T&Cs & Privacy Policy Error: Please enter a valid email. The email address is already in use. Please login to subscribe. Error, please try again later. THANK YOU You are one the list. 'He had a good draw [in barrier two], so I had cover and he travelled lovely and waited for a signal and he quickened when I needed him to do it. It was a promising win.' Too good, Tony Cruz! 🍾 That's 500 wins at Happy Valley as a trainer for Hong Kong's legendary horseman as Hong Kong International Sale graduate Kingly Demeanor makes all in the opener with Keith Yeung... #HappyWednesday | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) May 14, 2025 The win was part of a double for Cruz, with Kingly Demeanor winning the opening Class Five Yue Wan Handicap (1,800m) to give the trainer his 500th winner as a handler at the city circuit. Keith Yeung Ming-lun took the speedy five-year-old to the front soon after the break and never looked back, making all the running for a cosy victory. It was another landmark for Cruz soon after he rung up a combined 2,500 Hong Kong wins as a jockey and trainer – not that the 68-year-old keeps count. 'It's great to get to 500,' Cruz said. 'This is where I started my career and I've had a lot of winners here as a jockey and trainer, so it's great. 'I had no idea I was close to 500 wins, so thank you for keeping count.' Ricky Yiu's Sure Joyful strikes a second win this term! Matthew Poon's productive season continues with a 33rd success for the campaign... 🔥#HappyWednesday | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) May 14, 2025 Meanwhile, Ricky Yiu Poon-fai and Matthew Poon Ming-fai teamed up for a double with Sure Joyful and Hayday saluting. Their good night kicked off with Sure Joyful's gutsy win in the Class Four Wu King Handicap (1,650m), fending off a stern late challenge from Midori Fuji. And things got even better later on the card when Hayday crossed over from stall 10 and made all the running in the second section of the Class Four Tin Sau Handicap (1,200m). It continued an exciting period for jockey Poon, who will fly to Australia to ride Klondike in the Group One Doomben Cup (2,000m) on May 24 for joint-trainers John O'Shea and Tom Charlton. Jockey Lyle Hewitson also got in on the act with his own double on Wednesday night, first riding Season's Wit through the field to win the Class Three Choi Wan Handicap (1,000m) before striking on King Lotus for trainer Mark Newnham in the first section of the Tin Sau Handicap. Newnham himself slotted a double in the final race when Crimson Flash kept on kicking to win the Class Three Hoi Lai Handicap (1,200m).
News.com.au
30-04-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Boomer Bloodstock purchases share in super stallion Zoustar for $1.1m
The coveted share in star stallion Zoustar has sold on Inglis Digital for $1.1m on Wednesday in a sale that values Widden Stud's headliner at a eye-watering $66m. Boomer Bloodstock, for an unnamed client, forked out the seven-figure sum for the 1/60th share offered by Qatar Bloodstock following days of bidding for the Group 1 winner sprinter turned super sire. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Bidding for the rare share was already at $820,000 on the final day of the online sale with 20 bids made for a slice of the stallion. Qatar Bloodstock sold a similar 1/60th share last year for $1.3m to Bangaloe Stud. Zoustar stands for one of the highest fees of any stallion in Australia at $275,000 this season alongside Godolphin's Too Darn Hot while Newgate's Extreme Choice ($330,000) is the benchmark. Zoustar is expected to cover around 150 mares during the 2025 breeding season with Boomer Bloodstock's share ensuring they will get a portion of the income. A sire of 65 stakes winners, Zoustar has produced Group 1 winners Zougotcha Joliestar, Climbing Star and Schwarz in recent times.
News.com.au
29-04-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Qatar Bloodstock to sell share in super sire Zoustar at Inglis Digital online auction on Wednesday
A rare share in Widden Stud's champion stallion Zoustar will go under the hammer for an expected seven-figure sum when the latest Inglis Digital Auction concludes on Wednesday. Bidding for the share, offered by Qatar Bloodstock, had already reached $800,000 on Tuesday afternoon following the opening of the April (Late) Online action on Anzac Day last week. It's expected a flurry of late action on Wednesday afternoon will see the share rise well over the million mark. Last year Qatar Bloodstock sold to Bangaloe Stud another 1/60th share in the sought-after stallion for $1.3 million – a figure that would value Zoustar at close to $80m. Zoustar is already the sire 65 stakes winners including the likes of Zougotcha, Joliestar, Ozzmosis, Growing Empire, Climbing Star and Zousain. Schwarz, bound for next month's Doomben 10,000, added to Zoustar's record of producing Group 1 winners earlier this year when the four-year-old won the William Reid Stakes at The Valley. Zoustar, currently 14 years of age, is set to stand at Widden's Hunter Valley property for $275,000 for the upcoming 2025 breeding season. • Dethroned The Quokka champion set for Doomben 10,000 It comes as Yarraman Park Stud announced three-time Australian champion stallion I Am Invincible will stand for a reduced fee of $220,000, down from $275,000 last year. I Am Invincible is the sire of last Saturday's Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes winner Charm Stone as well as unbeaten ATC Inglis Sires' Produce Stakes victor Vinrock. Yarraman principal Arthur Mitchell explained the decision to lower I Am Invincible's fee. 'Vinnie is entering his twilight years, and there are limited outside nominations available,' he said in a release. 'We are also mindful of the challenges facing trainers and syndicators, along with breeders – the cost of production and wages, everything has increased. 'We want to ensure everyone has a good chance, no matter which part of the market they operate in.'
News.com.au
25-04-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Gai Waterhouse shows faith in leading Adelaide apprentice Rochelle Milnes for Group 1 Australasian Oaks assault with Phenom
Adelaide's star apprentice Rochelle Milnes prefers to let her riding do the talking, and her riding has caught the attention of racing's first lady, Gai Waterhouse. Milnes, 23, will pilot the aptly named Phenom in Saturday's $1m Australasian Oaks at Morphettville, a Zoustar filly trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! It's the biggest race of Milnes' fledgling career, but her daring Adelaide Cup win aboard Silent Surrente in March, proved she has right temperament for the elite stage. 'I think you could call it the next challenge, whether or not I feel as prepared as I could be, is another thing,' Milnes, who grew up in Port Lincoln, said. 'I guess that's how my career has always been, kind of jumping in before I felt ready and taking on the challenge as it comes.' It's an approach that has served Milnes effectively, she won the Dux of the Racing SA Apprentice Academy in January, and leads the Adelaide jockeys' premiership with 37 wins. Milnes is unearthing herself as latest female prodigy to emerge from South Australia, and riding in her first Group 1 for 'Gai', the doyenne of racing, is an opportunity that isn't lost on Milnes. 'It's definitely a privilege, to have someone of Gai's status and respectability in the game have faith in me,' she said. 'Especially being an apprentice, that's something I go on about a lot, not only is it a great opportunity as a jockey, but as an apprentice jockey, it's even more special to me. 'It is a Group 1, and even though she's had plenty of Group 1 success, every (Group 1) is important – to be a part of that is pretty special.' • Milnes has been given the brief by Waterhouse, who saddles up two runners in the Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m), Phenom ($27 Sportsbet) and Too Darn Lizzie ($4.80). 'I've spoken to Gai a few times now, I've been riding her horses trackwork,' she said. 'I was up against her in the Adelaide Cup, and now I get to ride for her, so that's pretty cool. She makes me want to be better, she's not afraid to tell you what you're doing right or wrong, she's very well spoken, very well-mannered. 'Everyone knows that she's very flamboyant, she's a real character but a lovely, lovely lady and giving me an opportunity like this, it's very cool to be a part of.' An Adelaide Cup win was naturally good for self belief, but Milnes has maintained a level head throughout her achievements. 'I guess it's given me confidence in myself, but that never takes away from the challenges you face, there's plenty of room for improvement,' she said. Milnes got the better of star jockey Jamie Melham on the day, another South Australian, who finished second aboard Newfoundland. The pair meet again on Saturday with Melham piloting equal third favourite, Polymnia, for John O'Shea and Tom Charlton. Milnes holds a fond recollection of what Melham said to her after the Adelaide Cup. 'She definitely said some things I'm not allowed to say,' Milnes said. 'They were used in a good way, she's a really good sport, it came across in a very friendly, personal manner – we had a laugh after. 'I think that made it even sweeter. She's had lots of success herself, she could look at it and relate, she knew what it would mean to me, I had a lot of respect for her from that.' Milnes piloted Phenom to third last start in the Group 3 Auraria Stakes (1800m), and the hoop has been pleased with the filly's trackwork since.  'She's another class of horse that I've never ridden before,' she said. 'That last start, she was a little flat-footed mid-race but she stormed home really good, she picked up really nicely under riding and finished off so strong. 'Her work since then has given me nothing but confidence in her, she's quite a fizzy little mare, it would be nice to see her settle in her run and finish off strong like she did in the last race. 'It's been nice getting to know her not on race day, seeing a little personality and having that rapport with the horse.'
