A short-priced favourite earlier in the week, the Zoustar filly Zouzarella was relatively friendless on the day for her career debut in the Roll The Dice Racing Plate (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
That did not stop the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained 3yo filly sweeping down the outside under Brett Prebble to defeat the well-performed brazen Beau filly Zapateo by a head.
The other first starter, the regally bred I Am Invincible filly Wonderful Tonight, showed she is a filly with a bright future with a fast-finishing third.
Carrying the colours of Brendan and Jo Lindsay’s Cambridge Stud, Zouzarella holds an entry for the Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 13.
“It was a good performance; she had a really good experience,” Sam Freedman said.
“I said to Brett pre-race that we did not want to have a gutbuster. She hit the line and has a pedigree that says she will improve when she gets out over a trip. She probably had enough on the line but will improve off the experience.
“We had nothing planned after today, but we will map a path towards the Thousand Guineas, which is the ultimate goal.
“The Atlantic Jewel in a couple of weeks is an option. She has to keep improving, and she will be meeting better and better fillies.
”She’s made a good start and is a very promising horse.”
Zouzarella was consigned to the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Glastonbury Stud, where Cambridge Stud had the final say at $250,000.
She is the second foal and second winner for the well-performed Al Maher mare Zazparella, a 6-time winning sister to the stakes-placed Almachino and a half-sister to stakes-placed Lets Get Nauti Gal (Harbour Watch).
A $30,000 purchase by Paul Moroney Bloodstock at the 2011 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Zazparella was purchased by Zouzarella’s breeder Dale Corrigan for $45,000 at the 2016 National Broodmare sale.
After foaling a So You Think filly last spring, Zazparella was covered by Highland Reel (IRE).
Zoustar stands at Widden Stud, NSW, at a fee of $154,000 and has shuttled to Tweenhills for the last three northern hemisphere seasons.
