More Success for $800,000 Zoustar Mare

Media Release - Sunday December 31

Stella Splendida continued her winning ways at Taupo on Saturday, recording her fourth win from eight career starts in the Cosana NZ – Charge Of The Light Brigade (1200m).

Stella Splendida winning at Taupo on Saturday.  Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)

The daughter of Zoustar jumped well for Opie Bosson and settled in just behind the speed for the leading hoop. He asked her to improve to sit outside leader Kakadu at the 600m mark and the pair entered a dogfight down the home straight, with Stella Splendida just getting the better of her foe in the final strides to win by a nose, settling the nerves of punters who backed her into $1.80 favouritism.

“It was a good, tough, win and I don’t think the track was really to her liking, but she dug deep to get up and win by a nose,” said Mark Walker, who trains the four-year-old in partnership with Sam Bergerson.

“It was another gun ride from Opie and he just never seems to get beaten in a tight finish.”

The Matamata trainers are now setting their sights towards stakes targets with their mare and are contemplating a trip south to their Riccarton base to try and earn some valuable black-type.

“We’ve got her confidence back, which is really good, and where her rating is currently we may even look to the South Island for a suitable black-type race,” Walker said.

Stella Splendida was purchased as a yearling by David Ellis out of Pencarrow Stud’s 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $800,000, and the Te Akau principal was pleased to see her notch up another win on Saturday.

“It was an awkwardly run race, but good to see her get there and she’s now won four of her eight starts,” Ellis said.

“I think the slow ground was a touch beyond her too, so it was a good effort given the conditions.

Advertisement

“We considered her the best filly in the sale that year and, rightfully, she topped the sale.

“One of the owners, Ben Kwok, is very loyal and supportive of Te Akau, and also the most successful owner in the world, John Magnier, who founded Coolmore Stud, has a sizeable share.

“We’ve trained horses for Coolmore, but she’s the first horse we’ve had in work for him personally and it’s very exciting to have a progressive winning filly that he’s involved in.

“John got in touch with me to say that he’d been impressed with the horses that we’d been buying at Te Akau and he’d like to be involved in a nice filly.

“I think she’s got more ahead of her and Mark and Sam are doing a good job of placing her as she works through the grades.”

Ellis is preparing for the upcoming yearling sales next month, with Magic Millions on the Gold Coast followed closely by Karaka 2024 in Auckland.

“We’ve got a big month ahead at the sales, which I’m really looking forward to, and following our inspections I’ve been going through the pedigrees with Marcus Corban,” Ellis said.

“We have seen some lovely yearlings, some of which we will be trying to buy at auction, and we’ll be heading to the Gold Coast to start work next week.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
NZ Derby Hero Willydoit Primed for Epsom
Last season’s New Zealand Derby hero Willydoit will step back into the spotlight on Saturday when he contests the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick for trainer Ciaron Maher, with jockey Tommy Berry bullish the horse is ready to make his mark over the famous mile.
Blueblood Fillies From $3million Mares
Tom Magnier has been notable for his purchase of elite race fillies and broodmares in recent years to enhance the stellar Coolmore broodmare band and two of his $3million plus mare purchases have produced stunning fillies this spring.
Sires With Winners - Thursday October 2
Here is the full list of 29 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Caulfield
Three barrier trials at Caulfield on Thursday morning produced heat winners for first season sires Wild Ruler and Profiteer with the quickest winner being Free Flying, the half-sister by Snitzel to brilliant Group winning mare Learning to Fly.
One to Watch – Geelong
Trilogy Racing will have high hopes for the their talented filly Queen of Clubs in the Group I ATC Flight Stakes on Saturday and their colours were in the frame at Geelong on Thursday carried by a Zoustar filly that saluted on debut.
Melody Belle Daughter Set for Long Awaited Debut
It will be a full-circle moment for Te Akau Racing at The Valley on Friday night when Lyrics ‘N’ Song, a daughter of their former multiple Group One winner Melody Belle, makes her debut.
Milan Park Experience Highs and Lows
Tony Rider experienced the extreme highs and lows of breeding thoroughbreds within a matter of hours on Wednesday.
New SW Wrote - Fast Network Wins G3 National Day Cup
Trainer Dennis Yip claimed a timely first win of the 2025/26 season, taking out the feature HK$4.2 million Gr.3 National Day Cup Handicap (1000m) at Sha Tin’s National Day fixture on Wednesday when his stable star Fast Network, a New Zealand bred son of Wrote, blitzed a strong field under Alexis Badel.
Generation Foals Built for Speed
Victorian farm Lovatsville offer a diverse stallion roster for this spring geared to satisfy a wide spectrum of breeder ambitions and if explosive Aussie speed is your thing then Snitzel stallion Generation will fit the bill.
Bright Future for Zoustar Filly
Stella Splendida resumed in winning fashion at Hawera on Wednesday when taking out The Bold One @ Grangewilliam Stud 1200.