3 minute read
Well-bred Zoustar colt gets off the mark.
The Chris Waller-trained Yulong Code (3 c Zoustar - Acouplamas by Al Maher) got off the mark at the third attempt when landing the Pink Finss Charity Maiden Plate (1300m) at Hawkesbury on Thursday.
The three-year-old colt was tucked in behind the leader Explosive Truth (Spirit Of Boom), before surging past him in the straight to hit the line a length and a half in front. Spring Charm (Dissident) was another two and three-quarter lengths further afield in third.
The colt prepared for the race with an impressive barrier trial at Rosehill on September 15 and Yulong's bloodstock manager Luke Wilkinson said he was nervous ahead of Thursday's race.
"We were very impressed with that," said Wilkinson to Racing & Sports Bloodstock. "I was very nervous before the race because I thought he had done everything right going into it and I just thought he needed a bit of luck, so it was good to see him put it all together.
"He was meant to run over 1250 metres on Wednesday, but there were a few chances in the race and we just thought we would err on the side of caution and take him to Hawkesbury and then progress on from there."
Wilkinson said the colt's main spring target was the Carbine Club Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) at Flemington on Derby day.
"I think getting the win today was a good confidence booster for him and then we can step up to other things" said Wilkinson. "We have a bit of a plan getting to the Carbine Club on Derby day, so we'll see how we go.
"Obviously being a half to Quick Thinker we feel he can get further and he is that style of horse as well, he is a little bit long and stretchy and we think he will really develop into a lovely horse.
"I thought [Jason] Collett did a lovely job because he stepped half a stride slow and got into an awkward position and then he quickly thought: I don't want to be stuck behind a few horses, I'll put him in the right position. Half way through the run I thought he would be one further back, but it was a really great ride and encouraging to see the horse put it all together and for some excited owners who put in a bit of money for him.
"The Carbine Club will be his main Spring target and that can also lead into the Sandown Guineas if he still has petrol in the tank after the Carbine Club."
Purchased owners Yulong and Rifa Mustang for $1,075,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the KBL Thoroughbreds draft, the colt is out of stakes-placed Al Maher (Danehill) mare Acouplamas, making him a half-brother to last season's Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Quick Thinker (So You Think) and stakes-placed duo Seasons (Sebring) and August (I Am Invincible).
The colt's third dam is Tilly Foster (Vice Regal), who in turn produced Kensington Gardens (Grosvenor) - the dam of VRC Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) winner and late sire Blackfriars (Danehill) and Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Larrocha (Danehill). Larrocha herself is the dam of Rocha (Encosta De Lago), who landed the 2008 Wakeful Stakes (Gr 2, 2000m).
Kensington Gardens also produced Group 2 winner Manton (Danehill) and Listed-winning pair Waterford Road (Danehill) and Lions Gate (Danehill).
In 2018 Acouplamas slipped to So You Think (High Chaparral), before missing to Sebring (More Than Ready) the following season and she was covered by Widden Stud-based sire Trapeze Artist (Snitzel) in November last year.
Zoustar is standing at Widden Stud in the Hunter Valley for a fee of $121,000 (inc GST).
