Zoustar Mares Sparkle at Flemington for G2 Double

Tara Madgwick - Saturday October 5
Zoustar's champion mare Sunlight was in hot form at Flemington on Saturday winning the Group II VRC Gilgai Stakes as her lead up to the $14million Everest, but she wasn't the only Group winner on the card by Widden Stud's young super sire.




The Tony and Calvin McEvoy trained Sunlight was back to her brilliant best at her third run back from a spell, leading all the way as favourite to beat top class sprinter Santa Ana Lane by a length with another progressive Zoustar sprinter in Zoutori grabbing third place.

A $300,000 Magic Millions purchase for Aquis/McEvoy Mitchell Racing/Blue Sky Bstock from the Widden Stud draft, Sunlight was bred in partnership by Widden Stud, whose Katie Thompson also shares in her ownership.

A Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner as a juvenile and a triple Group I winner at three, Sunlight has the impressive record of 11 wins and six placings from 19 starts with prizemoney now topping $4.6 million.

Sunlight made it a winning double at Flemington for Zoustar with his progressive four year-old mare Haut Brion Her claiming her first Black Type win in the Group II VRC Blazer Stakes over 1400 metres.




Retained to race by her breeders who include Peter Liston of Three Bridges Thoroughbreds, Haut Brion Her has been handled patiently by Waller and allowed to maker way quietly through the restricted grades.

Haut Brion Her - images Grant CourtneySecond at her first two runs in Melbourne following a hat-trick of wins in Sydney, Haut Brion Her out it altogether in this 1400 metre assignment, leading all the way to score a three-quarter length win for Michael Walker.

"She didn't handle Moonee Valley. She laboured around Caulfield and then today at Flemington with a nice sweeping bend and the long straight, it really suited her better," Waller's Melbourne stable representative Jo Taylor said.

"She was able to balance up and then finish her race off as well as we know she can."

Haut Brion Her has the impressive record of five wins and three placings from eight starts with prizemoney just shy of $400,000.

A half-sister to Group III winner Karacatis and stakes-winner Shamillion, Haut Brion Her is the third stakes-winner for terrific producer One in a Million, a Group II placed daughter of Redoute's Choice.

One in a Million died earlier this year and Haut Brion Her is her final foal.

Haut Brion Her is the 11th stakes-winner for Zoustar and interestingly is the very first stakes-winner worldwide to have a double cross of champion sire Redoute's Choice.





Advertisment
More Reading...
G3 Win for Sunlight Sister
Stakes-placed earlier this year in Adelaide, three year-old Zoustar filly Sisstar has taken a little longer to hit winning form than her famous older sister Sunlight, but she claimed a valuable Black Type success at Flemington on Oaks Day when leading all the way to win the Group III VRC Red Roses Stakes (1100m).
Almanzor Mare Benefits from Maturity
Time was always going to benefit Mehzebeen and the Almanzor mare continues to emphasise that in her five-year-old season.
Belclare Seeking to Find Best Form Back in Australia
Dual Group One winner Belclare’s return home for a three-race campaign didn’t go to plan earlier this year, and now she is back on the other side of the Tasman to try and get her preparation back on track.
Zoustyle Does it Again!
"The guys that own him were really disappointed when he drew wide but I said to them when he came over here and worked on Tuesday, 'this is really his favourite track’, he gets himself into such a good rhythm here and it's the only race all Summer that I had an opportunity to bring him back here to Doomben," Gollan said.
Coolmore Secure $500,000 Zoustar Colt
Some people may have wondered at Coolmore’s Tom Magnier paying $500,000 for a Zoustar colt early in the sale at Magic Millions on Wednesday, but when you hear what his breeder John North of Bowness Stud has to say about him you can see why this colt is seen as having serious potential.
The Boss Lady Wins G3 Roma Cup and a Quokka Slot
Roma Cup Day at Ascot is a celebration of equine speed with the three feature races all run over 1100m and Street Boss (USA) provided the star of the show in The Boss Lady, who has been tonight announced to fill the $5million Quokka slot for Peters Investments.
Who Do You Pick? Star Mares of Tomorrow
In chatting with our guest Jim Clarke this week on our Tara Talks Racing podcast we discussed a topic that will no doubt spark plenty of interest from our audience, if you could have one three year-old filly to take forward and race next season at four, who would it be?
Zoustar Filly Spoils the Party at the Gold Coast
The Toby and Trent Edmonds-trained Queen Kay defeated her better-fancied stablemate Smart 'N' Sexy in Saturday’s $125,000 Aquis Gold Pearl Quality at the Gold Coast, which was not just a blow to punters but looks to have cost the runner-up a spot in next week’s Magic Millions 2yo Classic.  
Arrowfield Announce 2025 Fees
In the wake of his third Golden Slipper winner and his career-best yearling sale results, multiple Champion Sire Snitzel heads the 2025 Arrowfield stallion roster at an unchanged fee of $247,500, while Castelvecchio has earned a deserved fee increase.
FBAA Professional Development Day- Food for Thought
The Federation of Bloodstock Agents Australia’s third Continued Professional Development Day was again held at Randwick Racecourse on Tuesday 8th April 2025 and was hosted by MC Vin Cox.