Zougotcha gets Queen Of Turf call in photo-finish
Chris Waller’s disappointment after Via Sistina’s (Frankel) second-placed finish having been sent off odds-on favourite in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes was short lived, with the trainer saddling a quinella in the following contest, with Zougotcha (Zoustar) narrowly getting the verdict over last year’s heroine Atishu (Savabeel) in the Queen Of The Turf Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m).
The filly’s first elite-level success came when she landed the Flight Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) in 2022, Zougotcha had proved largely disappointing throughout 2023, but has returned in career-best form for the new racing season.
Beginning with a win in the Millie Fox Stakes (Gr 2, 1300m), the four-year-old daughter of Zoustar (Northern Meteor) then doubled her elite-level tally in last month’s Coolmore Classic (Gr 1, 1500m).
Bidding to make it a trio of Group 1 trophies on Saturday, Zougotcha was sent off the $3.50 favourite under James McDonald and jumped well from the inside barrier before settling just off the pace.
Perfectly positioned in third place rounding the home bend, McDonald asked his mount to win her race approaching the 300-metre pole and, after taking the lead with 200 metres left to race, she narrowly held on by 0.1 lengths from her Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale-bound stablemate Atishu ($3.70), who had been unlucky in running down the home straight.
The front pair finished a further 1.2 lengths ahead of the Ciaron Maher-trained Semana (Winning Rupert) ($14) in third.
“Zougotcha has done a good job,” Waller said. “We gave her a decent break after she didn’t come up in the spring. We didn’t panic and we allowed her to be a racehorse.
“We gave her a proper break and she’s won three from three this prep. We just had to put her in the right races and she’s gone bang, bang, bang.
“They are good mates in the stables at home [Zougotcha and Atishu]. So there will be a bit of bragging rights. In another stride it might have been a different result. But it’s 1600 metres exactly and Zougotcha got the win.”
McDonald has been aboard for all but one of Zougotcha’s eight career wins, including her three Group 1 victories, and feels she is ‘the mare of the autumn’.
“Very proud of this mare, she’s an absolute ripper,” McDonald said. “Barriers win races. She has drawn beautiful marbles all the way through.
“She executes perfectly. She tries really hard. A mile is probably a stretch at Randwick but her will to win is phenomenal.
“She’s so willing. She’s definitely the mare of the autumn. She did a really good job today.”
A $500,000 purchase from the Widden Stud draft for her trainer and Guy Mulcaster at the 2021 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Zougotcha (4 m Zoustar – Fast Talker by Fastnet Rock) is owned by a consortium of owners which include her her breeders Widden Stud and Robert Anderson.
The fourth winner out of the stakes-placed Fastnet Rock (Danehill) mare Fast Talker, herself a half-sister to Group 3 winner Crystal Dreamer (Stratum), Zougotcha is a sister to 2018 Twilight Glow Stakes (Listed, 1400m) winner Persuader and a half-sister to 2020 The Phoenix (Listed, 1615m) winner The Actuary (Sebring).
Fast Talker, who hails from the family of Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Crystal Lily (Stratum), has a yearling colt by Written Tycoon (Iglesia) was sold at last week’s Inglis Easter sale for $500,000 to MG Price Racing & Breeding and Dermot Farrington. Fast Talker was covered by Zoustar again last September.
Zougotcha’s was another good result for Fastnet Rock (Danehill) as he bids to win his first champion broodmare title. Progeny out of his daughters have won $30,230,036 in prize-money, which sees him sit at the top of the standings, with Encosta De Lago (Fairy King) his nearest rival, with progeny from his daughters having earned $24,241,630 in prize-money.