John O’Shea has a stable full of talented horses at present and he was talking Golden Rose and Caulfield Guineas plans for exciting Zoustar colt Zou Tiger when he cast off maiden status at Randwick on Wednesday with a resounding first up win.
Second on debut back in April behind subsequent Group II ATC Silver Shadow Stakes winner Zougotcha, Zou Tiger was second again at his next start in May before heading for a spell and made his return in the 1300m maiden.
Ridden by James McDonald, he was a short priced favourite and won accordingly, leading throughout before kicking away to win by nearly four lengths from two very nice first starters in The Englishman (Tavistock) and Zakiyya (Siyouni), who both ran home well and will be better placed next time over further.
“He’s always been a really talented horse and we were so pleased with his runs at two for a big colt like him and he ran into a pretty sharp one (Zougotcha) when he debuted,” said O’Shea.
“James rode him beautifully and he executed well.
“There’s a 1400m race two weeks out from the Golden Rose, so we’ll go there and that will give us a feel for where he will slot in.
“He’s a progressive colt heading towards both the Golden Rose and the Guineas and he’s got a racing pattern that will suit both Rosehill and Caulfield.”
James McDonald was well pleased with Zou Tiger.
“He’s a big tank of a horse with a lot of strength and a nice high cruising speed and he quickens off that as well, so he has a lot of attributes to love about him,” he said.
A $200,000 Inglis Classic purchase for his trainer from the Widden Stud draft, Zou Tiger runs for a syndicate headed by Ron Finemore with Widden Stud and his co-breeders also retaining an interest.
Zou Tiger is a half-brother to last season’s Group III winning filly Daisies and stakes-placed Motown Lil being the fifth winner from five foals to race from Tigress Lily, a winning Snitzel grand-daughter of NZ Horse of the Year Tycoon Lil.
Tigress Lily produced a filly Pierata last spring and is in foal to Written By.
