Exciting Zoustar colt Growing Empire ticked another box when stepping out on rain affected ground for the first time at Flemington on Saturday and showed a brilliant change of gear to lead home previously unbeaten colt First Settler to give Yulong a quinella in the Listed VRC Poseidon Stakes (1100m)
Trained by Ciaron Maher and ridden by Mark Zahra, Growing Empire raced on the pace and when the challengers emerged he had all the answers. The neatly built bay colt saw off High Octane and Polyglot and finally First Settler to win comfortably by a length and a half.
“He’s a quirky character, but when you need him he’s right there for you,” saod Mark Zahra, who has partnered the colt in his last three wins all of them in stakes races.
“I said to Ciaron, he’s drawn in today and I just want to get him out and use his speed. That’s what’s so good, he has that electric speed whenever you need it, at the start or finish, whenever you want to use it.
“When he got to the front he had a good look around and then he was going to pull up to a trot about 20m out, so I had to teach him to get to the line. He’s a very exciting horse and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
Growing Empire has now had four wins and a second from five starts with prizemoney topping $400,000 and the Group I VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington in November is the target race this spring, a race won by his sire Zoustar in 2013.
How he gets there though is up for debate with the lure of the Everest a real possibility given the good record of three year-olds in the race which has been won by Giga Kick and Yes Yes Yes at that age.
"He (Mark) was keen to ride him like the best horse and take luck out of it and go forward. Good horses can do that. They can race from either end of the race,” said Ciaron Maher.
"He's (Zahra) got a good understanding of him and he seems to be winning with a lot more in the tank. There's more there. He's a very exciting colt. Great to have Mr Zhang, his family and the team on track. Great to get winner for them especially with a colt like that.
“We'll sit down with the Yulong team and have a chat. They do have a slot (in The Everest) and he is a very good colt.
"They (three-year-olds) do have a good record in it. The Coolmore was the aim. There have been other horses - I think Home Affairs went to both and ended up winning a Coolmore. We'll see.
"He's ticked off the straight and he's progressing with each start.
"Maybe another run wouldn't hurt (before The Everest if he went there). Certainly a good problem to have."
Bred by Pat Hodgens, Neil Werrett and Steve McCann, Growing Empire was a $700,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Yulong from the Vinery Stud draft and is a half-brother to Group III placed Dancing Alone from Group II placed Snitzel mare Miles of Krishan, a half-sister to Group I winner Il Quello Veloce, stakes-winner Donna Cattiva and to the dam of Group III Canberra Black Opal Stakes winner Holmes a Court.
It’s a very fast Black Type family that has also produced Group I winning sprinters Terravista and Tiger Tees.
Miles of Krishan has a two year-old filly by I Am Invincible and another filly to follow by Zoustar, but no foal this year after missing to I Am Invincible.
