Cambridge Stud Cheer Zoustar 2YO Debut Winner

Media Release - Tuesday February 7

Mark Walker’s rip-roaring season produced another milestone victory at Taupo on Tuesday when the Te Akau head trainer unveiled a highly regarded juvenile to deliver on debut.

Walker was credited with his 1000th New Zealand success courtesy of Zourion, who scored at the first time of asking in the Placemakers Taupo 2YO (1100m).

Zourion brought up trainer Mark Walker’s 1000th New Zealand win at Taupo on Tuesday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

“I was getting pretty close to the mark before I left for Singapore and it’s great to tick that off today for sure,” Walker said.

Zourion was sent out a dominant favourite off the back of an impressive trial win at Tauranga last month and improved quickly to lead after a tardy beginning.

She was hotly challenged 150m from home by Sako before rallying to beat the Stephen Marsh representative by half a-length with the winner’s stablemate Sky On Fire finishing third.

“I think it was a good effort because she only went into it with a 700m trial and the filly that ran third is a stakes winner and I’d heard quite good things about the second horse,” Walker said.

“I think the form out of the race will be really strong and if we’re happy with the way she pulls up we’ll probably run her in the Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (Gr.2, 1200m).”

The daughter of Zoustar, who was a $475,000 purchase out of breeder Pencarrow Stud’s draft at Karaka, has been nominated for the Gr.1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) but Walker isn’t daring to dream just yet.

“We’ll get to Matamata first and small steps at a time. We’ll just wait and see how she progresses,” he said.

Zourion is the third winner from Group II placed Irion, a daughter of Group II winner Dopff. She is raced by Cambridge Stud principals Brendan and Jo Lindsay, who had celebrated an earlier win with the filly’s stablemate Marvelouz in the Easy Insulation Maiden (1400m), with both horses ridden by Warren Kennedy.

“It’s great to train winners for Brendan and Jo, they have put in an enormous amount into the industry and it’s beautifully bred fillies like these that will be backbone of Cambridge Stud for years and years to come,” Walker said.

He is enjoying an outstanding season with 119 winners and notched his 100th domestic stakes win when Aromatic won the Gr.3 Counties Cup (2100m) in November and is on target to set another record in 2022/23.

Guaranteed to win his sixth New Zealand Trainers’ Premiership, he is on track to surpass Jamie Richards’ domestic record of 160 wins in a season achieved in the 2020/21 term.

Advertisement

Walker also became the quickest to post a century of wins in a season when Pure Imagination was successful at Tauranga on January 13. The previous mark had been set by Richards, now based in Hong Kong, on January 28, 2021.

He also paid tribute to Te Akau chief David Ellis, who gave Walker his racing start when he employed him straight out of school, and his wife Karyn Fenton-Ellis.

“I’m especially indebted to Dave and Karyn who do all the hard work putting the syndicates together and there has been so many great owners,” he said.

“They have put years into getting to this level with ownership and there are just so many loyal owners there, it’s incredible.

“We have trained for some lovely people over the years who have also become very good friends.”

Walker’s first training stint in Matamata from 1997 until 2010 realised 858 wins and he went back to 2003 to single out his highlight.

“I still think that Distinctly Secret’s win was really special when he won the old Kelt (now Gr.1 Livamol Classic, 2050m) all those years ago,” he said.

“He was bred on the farm and Dave owned the majority of him and it came at the right time when the stable really needed it.”

During his overseas stint heading Te Akau’s Singapore operation, Walker won four trainers’ titles and posted 684 wins.

“Obviously, the highlight in Singapore was winning the Gold Cup (2000m) with Elite Invincible,” he said.

“That’s the one race that all owners, jockeys and trainers want to win. It’s the most prestigious race on the Singapore calendar so it was good to get that one.” – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment

Race Result - Placemakers Taupo 2yo 1100m

Taupo Track: Soft(6) Time: 1:06.93
1
Zourion
- 2f Zoustar (AUS) x Irion (NZ) (Danroad (AUS))
Tnr: M W Walker Rdr: W B Kennedy 55
2
0.5
Sako
- 2g Ardrossan (AUS) x Miss Maren (NZ) (Stravinsky (USA))
Tnr: S B Marsh Rdr: W F Pinn 57
3
3.8
Sky On Fire
- 2f Exceed And Excel (AUS) x Elusive Meteor (AUS) (Northern Meteor (AUS))
Tnr: M W Walker Rdr: O P Bosson 57
4
6.1
Midnight Monarch
- 2f Snitzel (AUS) x Midnight Revels (NZ) (Don Eduardo (NZ))
Tnr: S R Autridge Rdr: S R Weatherley 55
5
6.2
Per La Vita
- 2f Per Incanto (USA) x La Vida Loca (NZ) (Savabeel (AUS))
Tnr: Stephen Cole Rdr: M Hashizume 54
6
7.2
Sassy Lass
- 2f Staphanos (JPN) x Artic Breeze (NZ) (Keeper (AUS))
Tnr: S B Marsh Rdr: C R Barnes 55
More Reading...
Dual Group Winner Too Darn Good At Flemington
A dual group winner during the Spring of her 3yo season, talented mare Too Darn Discreet showed an electric turn of foot, charging home over the top of them to win the Melbourne Cup Carnival On Sale (1620m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Winning Hat-Trick for Progressive Pierro
Richard and Will Freedman probably have more talented horses in the stable than Pierro gelding Cold Brew, but few have the consistency of this four year-old who landed a winning hat-trick at Rosehill on Saturday.
Sliding Doors Moment Delivers Feel Good Winner at Rosehill
Two fillies were born at Yulong in 2021 sired by Alabama Express from imported North American daughters of Street Cry, one of them is triple Group I winner Treasurethe Moment and the other is the feel good winner of the day at Rosehill on Saturday.
Kosciuszko calling Rosehill winner Elson Boy
Dubbo-trained Elson Boy was back in the winner’s circle after a 412-day absence when leading throughout to land the Jockeys Celebration Day Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill in the hands of apprentice William Stanley.
Sires With Winners - Saturday August 2
Here is the full list of 101 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
The Novelist Returns to Form
The very first stakes-winner for his sire Written By when winning the Group III BRC BJ McLachlan Stakes in December 2022, The Novelist made light of the heavy 10 track at Rosehill on Saturday to claim another victory.
Crossbow Takes Aim At Flemington To Score
With quality efforts behind handy horses in his first three starts, trainer Chris Waller crossed the border to Victoria with instant success for the Star Thoroughbreds raced Crossbow, with the well-marked son of Better Than Ready breaking through for an impressive win.
Zoustar Filly Wins G2 Matamata Breeders Stakes for Cambridge Stud
The Mark Walker trained blue-blood filly Zourion showed she could have untapped potential with a strong performance to win the Group II J Swap Contractors Ltd Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) in New Zealand on Saturday.
Kiwi Bred Keeps Winners Coming for Payne Stable
The Patrick and Michelle Payne-trained Bold Soul has been a consistent performer right through the winter months and notched another win at Flemington when prevailing in the VRC Membership Renewals Open (2530m) on Saturday.
Unique Filly a History Maker for Godolphin and Waller
The re-distribution of the Godolphin owned Australian racehorses has been a hot topic in recent weeks as they departed the care of James Cummings to join a wide spread of different trainers and one of those was Chris Waller, whose first runner for the blue army was a winner at Rosehill on Saturday.