Becoming the second stakes winner of the meeting for Widden Stud’s Zoustar, the Philip Stokes trained Zaszou captured the $160,000 Listed BRC Helen Coughlan Stakes (1200m) in a photo finish.
Beaten just under a length and a half in her most recent run in the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes in April, the 4yo mare was one of five runners to start at single figure odds in the final race on Eagle Farm’s bumper ten-race card on Saturday.
Jockey Ethan Brown had the mare travelling on the rail with just a handful of runners behind her while Bubba’s Bay (Cable Bay) and Navyonthehighway (Merchant Navy) took up the running putting plenty of pace into the race.
Equal favourites Tashi (Sebring) and Kin (Impending) were both settled in a mid-field position, looking to get every chance in running.
As Midnight In Tokyo (Kobayashi) hit the lead shortly after straightening, Brown was making a run along the inside of the field, while Tashi was looking a winning chance as the Peter Snowden trained mare came between the tiring leaders.
As all three raced to the line, it looked like anyone’s race, but in a photo finish result, Zaszou held a narrow margin over Tashi with Midnight In Tokyo third while Kin worked home into fourth.
After a few stakes placed runners during the day, jockey Ethan Brown had to wait until the last of the day to secure his first success.
"It's always good to get a winner at this carnival,” said Brown.
“Nothing went right for this horse, she stepped slowly so we had to go to Plan b. I didn't really want to be on the inside, but they fanned out a fair bit.
“I thought where we were probably wasn't that bad, and she was so tenacious. She was entitled to run third or fourth but she maintained her run of foot. She's had a fair gap between runs so she will improve. "
"Nathan and the crew put in a lot of hard work to source their horses, and it's paying off. She was terrific today, and I was really impressed with her."
Bred by Winton Bloodstock, Zaszou a $200,000 purchase by Bennett Racing from the Kitchwin Hills draft at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
The third winner, and first stakes winner out of the Group 3 placed Zabeel mare Zasorceress, it is a prolific black type family with Zaszou’s dam being a three-quarter-sister to the Group 2 winner Lafleur (dam of Group 3 winner Amaryllis and Listed winner Papilio) and to Zygadene (dam of the Listed-winning, Group 1 place Wildflower).
Tracing back to great family of Habibti (Habitat), Zasorceress had a yearling colt by Snitzel fail to meet his $390,000 reserve at this year’s Inglis Easter yearling sale while the mare has not been covered since.
Becoming the 69th stakes winner for her sire who was also represented at the meeting by glamour mare Joliestar who recorded success in the Group 1 Kingsford-Smith Cup, Zoustar will stand at a fee of $275,000 (inc. GST) in the spring at Widden Stud.
