Geisel Park’s black-type mare Laced Up Heels is in foal off a maiden cover to Champion Australian Sire Zoustar and an orphan foal has found a new mum.
Laced Up Heels (6m by Toronado – A City Girl by Exceed And Excel) was retired following a short autumn campaign highlighted by an eye-catching second in the $200,000 The Joey (1200m) at Ascot when she came from last in a capacity field to get within a length of Toronado mare Twain’s Angel.
Zoustar (Northern Meteor) stands at Widden Stud and the early positive put the icing on the cake of a marvellous week at the West Australian stud.
She cost $100,000 at the 2021 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale and scored a career-high victory over Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni) in the following year’s LR Burgess Queen Stakes (1400m) at Ascot.
Second-dam Lady Knockout (Serheed) won the 2002 Belmont Guineas – Belmont Oaks double before claiming the G3 Matron Stakes (1600m) at Flemington. Third-dam Prime Again (Marooned) had won the G2 WA Champion Fillies in 1993 for owner-breeder Dallas Dempster.
“The Laced Up Heels news came on top of another good weekend for our stallions,” Geisel Park stud manager Conor Dunlop said. “And that followed the amazing response to find a foster mare for an Aysar colt from our mare Cosmic Jeuney (Starcraft) who died in surgery due to post-foaling complications.
“We would like to convey our genuine appreciation to all those who shared our post and contacted us endeavouring to find a foster mare. Our colt ‘Cosmo’ was introduced to his new mother figure, a wonderful mare who welcomed him warmly and immediately embraced him in a truly heartwarming result.
“Many thanks to our good friends at Yarradale Stud for their help. We truly have the best industry especially in our hour of need!”
Geisel Park has an attractive Playing God yearling filly from Cosmic Jeuney and Dunlop rates her a six-figure prospect for the 2026 Perth Magic Millions. Second-dam Impressive Jeuney (Jeune) won the G3 WA Oaks (2400m) in 2010 and returned later that year to finish a half-length second to Playing God (Blackfriars) in the G1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m).
Meanwhile, Geisel Park stallion Winning Rupert catapulted into second spot behind Playing God on the WA Sires Table when his Bjorn Baker-trained sprinter Iowna Merc was beaten in a head-bobbing finish to the G3 Sydney Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.
Saturday’s feature race was worth $2 million and the narrow margin meant a huge prizemoney difference for the owners of the winner ($1,156,500) and the runner-up ($380,000). “Iowna Merc was fantastic,” jockey Ash Morgan claimed. “I thought we quickened well enough but full credit to the winner Rothfire. My lad is a superstar who deserves to win a big prize.”
Baker has second-to-none record in Perth winning the G1 Winterbottom Stakes in 2023 and doubling up in the $5 million The Quokka in 2023 & 2024 with Overpass (Vancouver). He has nominated Iowna Merc for the G1 Railway Stakes (1600m) on November 22 and G3 Gold Rush (1400m) on December 13.
Fellow Geisel Park sire Manhattan Rain is also in the mix for a major purse with his mare Benagil during Melbourne Cup Week at Flemington. She won the G1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville in April and returned with an encouraging third in the LR Weekend Hussler Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on October 11.
“Benagil pulled up extra well after Caulfield,” trainer Glen Thompson said this week. “We did nominate her for the Golden Eagle in Sydney but she will stay at home and be entered for the G1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) and G2 Matriarch Stakes (2000m) on the first and last days of the carnival.”
Manhattan Rain is also marking a mark as a broodmare sire with the likes of Gangsta Granny grabbing a Group 3 at Rosehill earlier this month in The Nivison (1200m). The Hawkes Racing mare has opened at $6.50 for a Randwick Group 2 this Saturday in the $2 million The Invitation.
Gangsta Granny (4m Written Tycoon – Miss Hawaii by Manhattan Rain) is the fifth black-type winner for Manhattan Rain as a damsire. The first was Investmentstrategy (Playing God) in the LR Fairetha Stakes (1400m) at Ascot in 2023. Manhattan Rain is currently second on the 2025-26 WA Broodmare premiership ladder with earnings of $706,000 behind deceased Mungrup Stud stallion Oratorio ($785,000) who is on a hat-trick of damsire titles.
Manhattan Rain stands for $5,500 at Geisel Park alongside Aysar ($8,800) and Winning Rupert ($6,600). (Fees inc GST). Stud manager Conor Dunlop can be contacted for bookings or further details on 0447 434 735.
