With the late scratching at the barriers of Grand Larceny and Rhesus, the Zoustar debutant Hearcomesthestar faced off against five opponents in the Ladbroke It Maiden Plate at Sandown-Hillside on Wednesday and still found herself posted three deep the trip.
Ridden by Damien Oliver for John Moloney, Hearcomesthestar toughed it out to defeat the hulking Exosphere filly Austmarr by a half-length, with the Trapeze Artist colt Wallenda one and a half lengths back in third.
Moloney said it added merit to the win that Hearcomesthestar stood in the barriers for a considerable time.
“She is still new to everything. She had to tough it out with Freedman’s horse (Austmarr) was doing a good job up the inside,” Moloney said.
“She needed to keep at it, and she did. I think she will gain a hell of a lot from the race.
“We will see how she comes up. I would love to see her in the spring if she is good enough. This was only a maiden, so there is a long way to go.
Damien Oliver said it the Zoustar filly overcame several obstacles.
It was a good effort with very heavy conditions today,” Oliver said.
“I could have taken a trail, but I was mindful of keeping her comfortable and not having to make up too much ground in the heavy ground.
“She did a good job to win first up on that ground.”
A $150,000 purchase for her trainer from the Widden Stud draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Hearcomesthestar is the second winner from as many to race for the Group III winner Hear The Chant.
A daughter of Niconni, Hear The Chant has a yearling colt by Justify (USA) and a weanling filly by Shamus Award. She was covered by Shamus Award again last spring.
Bred by the Devitt and Gordon families in association with Lindsay Park Bloodstock, Hearcomesthestar is the ninth 2yo winner and 150th winner of the season for Widden Stud’s Zoustar.
