Neasham looking to cap stellar debut season with Group 1 success for Mizzy
Coolmore’s $2.2 million mare will bring racing career to a close in Saturday’s Tattersall’s Tiara at Eagle Farm
Annabel Neasham will be aiming to cap off a stellar debut racing season as a trainer in her own right with Mizzy (Zoustar), a fleeting addition to her stable, in this Saturday’s Tattersall’s Tiara (Gr 1, 1400m) at Eagle Farm.
The former Anthony Cummings-trained mare was sold for $2.2 million at last month’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast and will be having her last start in the final Group 1 race of the season before being retired for stud duties.
Since going through the sales ring, the highly valuable five-year-old daughter of Zoustar (Northern Meteor) has been enjoying the Queensland sunshine and impressed Neasham during the short time that she’s been in her care.
“Straight after the sales she slotted in with the team at Eagle Farm and spent a couple of weeks at the beach and she’s been a dream,” said Neasham to ANZ Bloodstock News.
“She’s such a beautiful mare and has a beautiful nature and is uncomplicated so I’m sure she will make a great mum.”
Offered in the Newgate Farm consignment at the National Broodmare Sale, Mizzy was knocked down to Coolmore Stud’s Tom Magnier who now owns her in partnership with Westerberg, the racing operation of Georg von Opel, and Kia Ora Stud.
“She’s very much been bought to head back to stud. She’s won everything bar a Group 1 so it’s a roll of the dice if she can become a Group 1 winner,” added Neasham.
“It’s fantastic for her CV but even if she doesn’t she has done all bar to win one so, either way, she will be a very valuable commodity for the partnership.”
A positive outcome on Saturday will not only help build her growing relationship with Coolmore but will also enhance her already strong links with Kia Ora.
“I have been fortunate to train a couple of really nice horses for Kia Ora and it’s fantastic to partner up with Coolmore. I feel very privileged and lucky and honoured I have been entrusted with this horse to train,” she said.
Coolmore has a stake in a number of horses currently trained in Neasham’s string of 45 horses at Warwick Farm.
“They have been a good support for me early in my career. They are one of the powerhouses in the industry globally so hopefully I can get some good results from them.”
Mizzy last ran for her previous connections on May 1 in the Robert Sangster Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Morphettville where she finished 14th of 16 runners.
In the Tatt’s Tiara on Saturday, she will carry the blue and burgundy racing colours of Westerberg and, while the barrier draw is still to be conducted this morning, Neasham is expecting her to run well off what she has shown her on the training track in recent weeks.
“We jumped her out at the Sunshine Coast last week and she pinged to the front and had her ears pricked and did it very comfortably. I was happy with her work. It was sharp in a controlled way,” she said.
“At the moment she’s ticked the boxes and while others in the race have had a run in the Dane Ripper I’m hoping that having her fresh will suit.
“The way she’s working I wouldn’t be surprised to see her come out on top.”
Neasham has enjoyed plenty of success during the Brisbane winter racing carnival, most notably through Zaaki (Leroidesanimaux), who won the Hollindale Stakes (Gr 2, 1800m) at the Gold Coast before a stunning seven-length demolition of a quality field in the Doomben Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) and finishing his campaign with victory in the Q22 (Gr 2, 2200m) on June 12.
The six-year-old English import will now be aimed at the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) in the spring, for which he is currently the favourite.
“He pulled up extremely well from the Q22 so everything will now be centred around the Cox Plate,” said Neasham.
As a milestone 2020-21 racing season comes to a close for Neasham she isn’t getting too carried away with the enormous success she’s had in just her first year of training.
“You can never stop and can’t dwell on it. Just keep moving forward,” she said.
“I am incredibly grateful to have a wonderful team and such great support so early on. You can’t have runners, let alone winners, without that support. I am lucky to have that support so early in my career.”
While Neasham’s career is only just taking off on the racetrack, Mizzy’s will come to a close on Saturday with the sprawling broodmare paddocks of Coolmore Stud in the Hunter Valley the next stop on her journey.
Fastnet Rock (Danehill) and Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj) are the two options being considered for her first season in the covering shed.