Empire expands Growing credentials with Poseidon victory
Everest chat surrounds Yulong’s Zoustar colt following emphatic success at Flemington
Next month’s $20 million The Everest (1200m) is high on the list of potential targets for Growing Empire (Zoustar) after the colt enhanced his already burgeoning reputation with victory in Saturday’s Poseidon Stakes (Listed, 1100m) at Flemington.
Racing in the colours of Yulong Investments, the son of Zoustar (Northern Meteor) has answered all calls since finishing runner-up on his debut in February, registering wins in the Valley Pearl (Listed, 1200m), SA Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) as a juvenile, and then scooped Caulfield’s McNeil Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) on his seasonal return last month.
Trained by Ciaron Maher, the colt was again ridden by Mark Zahra, who had been in the saddle for his last two outings, and after racing up with the pace, saw off all challengers inside the final 200 metres, beating the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained First Settler (Written Tycoon) by a comfortable 1.3 lengths.
The Peter Snowden-prepared King Of Roseau (Capitalist) finished a further 1.2 lengths behind in third place.
⚜️ It’s a Yulong quinella in the Listed Poseidon S. @FlemingtonVRC 🎉
3YO colt Growing Empire (Zoustar x Miles Of Krishan) posts an impressive fourth consecutive stakes win for @cmaherracing.
3YO #WrittenTycoon colt First Settler (ex Graciousness) was a gallant second 👌 pic.twitter.com/yCB5TDorjT
— Yulong Investments (@YulongInvest) September 14, 2024
“He [Mark] was keen to ride him like the best horse and take luck out of it and go forward. Good horses can do that. They can race from either end of the race,” said Maher.
“He’s [Zahra] got a good understanding of him and he seems to be winning with a lot more in the tank. There’s more there. He’s a very exciting colt. Great to have Mr Zhang, his family and the team on track. Great to get a winner for them [Yulong] especially with a colt like that.”
The trainer said the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) back at Flemington on November 2 as the colt’s main target, but would also not rule out a potential start in Randwick’s The Everest on October 19, with Yulong owning a slot in the $20 million showpiece event.
Recent winners of the Poseidon Stakes have also gone on to run in the Coolmore Stud Stakes, including September Run (Exceed And Excel), who landed the Group 1 on her next start in 2020, while 2022 winner Buenos Noches (Supido) finished third at Flemington and Ranch Hand (Fastnet Rock), winner of the 2021 renewal, claimed fourth place in the Coolmore.
Meanwhile, three-year-olds have won two of the seven runnings of The Everest, with Yes Yes Yes (Rubick) becoming the first in 2019, while Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) followed suit three years later in 2022.
“We’ll sit down with the Yulong team and have a chat,” the trainer said. “They do have a slot [in The Everest] and he is a very good colt.
“He’s ticked off the straight and he’s progressing with each start. Maybe another run wouldn’t hurt [before The Everest]. Certainly a good problem to have.
“They [three-year-olds] do have a good record in it [The Everest]. The Coolmore was the aim. There have been other horses – I think Home Affairs went to both and ended up winning a Coolmore. We’ll see.”
Should Growing Empire progress to the Coolmore Stud Stakes, he would be bidding to emulate his grandsire Northern Meteor (Encosta De Lago) and his father Zoustar, who landed the prestigious Group 1 in 2009 and 2013 respectively.
Much like their grandsire and sire before them, progeny of Zoustar have shown a special affinity with the Coolmore Stud stakes. The Widden Stud-based stallion has produced two winners of the Group 1, including last year’s victor Ozzmosis, while Sunlight landed the 1200-metre contest in 2018, leading home an impressive trifecta for her sire.
Saturday’s success means that Growing Empire now has four wins from just five outings, and prize-money earnings that have now surpassed $420,000 and Zahra was impressed with his latest victory.
“He’s a quirky character, but when you need him he’s right there for you,” the winning jockey said.
“I said to Ciaron, he’s drawn in today and I just want to get him out and use his speed. That’s what’s so good, he has that electric speed whenever you need it, at the start or finish, whenever you want to use it.
“When he got to the front he had a good look around and then he was going to pull up to a trot about 20 metres out, so I had to teach him to get to the line. He’s a very exciting horse and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
Bred by Pat Hodgens, Neil Werrett and Steve McCann, Growing Empire (3 c Zoustar – Miles Of Krishan by Snitzel) was sold to Yulong for $700,000 out of the Vinery Stud draft at last year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
A half-brother to the Group 3-placed Dancing Alone, the colt is out of the Group 2-placed Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) mare Miles Of Krishan, herself a half-sister to New Zealand Group 1 winner Il Quello Veloce (Captain Rio) and stakes scorer Donna Cattiva (Captain Rio), while also being a half-sister to the dam of Black Opal Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) winner Holmes A Court (Capitalist).
Miles Of Krishan has a two year-old filly by I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) and foaled a sister to Growing Empire in 2023, but missed I Am Invincible last season.
Zoustar is standing at Widden for a fee of $275,000, making him the third-equal highest priced sire standing in the country.