Widden Stud’s champion sire Zoustar will finish 2024 as the world’s leading sire of winners taking the title for the second year in a row and he’s not done yet with his Northern Hemisphere bred colt King of Gosford taking out the $200,000 Group II Mathis Mile (1m) on turf at Santa Anita on Boxing Day.
The three year-old colt had six starts in Ireland last year for one win at Dundalk, but has made rapid progress since transferring across the Atlantic to the stable of Phil D’Amato.
A three time stakes-winner at Listed level earlier in the year, King of Gosford was a last start second in the Group I Hollywood Derby and held that form to score a length victory, his sixth win from 15 starts.
“He just took advantage of a nice, comfortable pace scenario. Flavien did a great job of nursing him along easily up front, and when it was time to kick on at the top of the lane, showed a big turn of foot. I'm going to give him a 30-day break and then we'll, have him ready to go probably April or so, and hopefully campaign towards maybe a G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile,” said Phil D’Amato.
A 32,000 guinea purchase from Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 3, King of Gosford is the bets of two winners from stakes-winner Harbour Watch mare Miss Sugars.
King of Gosford is one of 22 stakes-winners worldwide in 2024 for Zoustar, who has sired 292 winners in 17 different countries with the majority in Australia.
