Zoustar fillies set to shine brightly at Goffs Orby Sale
Lezoo’s (Zoustar) victory in Saturday’s Cheveley Park Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) at Newmarket could not have been timed with more precision had Rolex engineered her success.
The win was the first at Group 1 level for her sire Zoustar (Northern Meteor) in the northern hemisphere, and in doing so it elevated him to a level above his peers. None of the other stallions with their first European-bred two-year-olds in 2022 has sired a Group 1 winner so far this year.
For vendors and consignors with yearlings from his second crop to sell at the Goffs Orby and Sportsman’s Sales this week, the timing of Lezoo’s success could not be more perfect.
There are eight youngsters by Zoustar, who was Australia’s champion first, second and third-season sire and stands the northern hemisphere season at Tweenhills, scheduled to sell at Goffs Orby.
Five of the yearlings are fillies and with Lezoo, winner of the Princess Margaret Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) and Empress Fillies’ Stakes (Listed, 6f) prior to her Group 1 success, earning the plaudits for Zoustar, the quintet at Kildare Paddocks are certain to be in demand with purchasers this week.
Only one daughter of Zoustar will be offered today and that is Manister House Stud’s half-sister to the German Listed-winner and Group 3-placed filly I’ll Have Another (Dragon Pulse).
She is one of the first horses through the ring, selling as lot 4, and her dam Jessie Jane (Dylan Thomas) is a half-sister to Starfish, the dam of Phoenix Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) and Matron Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) winner La Collina (Strategic Prince), Group 3-winners Foxes Tales (Zoffany) and Astadash (Zoffany), and the Listed-winners Fox Chairman (Kingman) and Entsar (Fastnet Rock).
Second dam Silver Skates (Slip Anchor) is a half-sister to 2005 Derrinstown Derby Trial (Gr 2, 1m 2f) winner Fracas (In The Wings) and to Suntory (Royal Applause), the granddam of Bodhicitta (Showcasing).
Jamie Railton consigns two fillies at Goffs Orby by the sire of triple Group 1-winner Sunlight and he feels that the emergence of a top-class performer by Zoustar was inevitable.
He said: “We have a number of Zoustars to sell this year, which we are very excited about and it was very fortuitous that Lezoo won the Group 1 at the weekend, but he was always going to get a Group 1 winner and I’m sure it is only the beginning of great things for the stallion.
“We are very excited about the group of horses we have to sell, by him. I think they are horses that are only going to progress and improve and have serious careers.”
Railton’s filly (lot 269) out of the Conqueror Stakes (Listed, 1m) fourth Tiger Eye (Frankel) is up early tomorrow morning and the filly possesses an eye-catching pedigree.
Her dam is a Frankel (Galileo) three-parts sister to Derby Italiano (Gr 2, 2200m) winner Tuscan Gaze (Galileo) and a half-sister to the Group 2-winning sprinters Spirit Quartz (Invincible Spirit) and Caspian Prince (Dylan Thomas). She is also a half-sister to Contrary (Mark Of Esteem), the dam of Hong Kong’s champion stayer and five-time Group 1-winner Irishcorrespondent (Teofilo).
Railton said of the second foal out of Tiger Eye: “She has a lot of power and strength and looks an obvious runner. It’s a Ballygallon Stud family and a pedigree with a lot of international appeal.”
Much later in the day (lot 333) comes the Zoustar half-sister to Time Scale (Charm Spirit), one of Lezoo’s predecessors as winner of the Empress Stakes. Their dam An Ghalanta (Holy Roman Emperor) won the Curragh Stakes (Listed, 5f) and was third in the Round Tower Stakes (Gr 3, 6f). The daughter of Holy Roman Emperor (Danehill) has a perfect record as a broodmare, with six winners from six runners, including the Albany Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) second Bletchley (Makfi).
Railton said: “This filly is a different model to the first one and has a nice page which gives her plenty of residual value.”
That page traces back to her third dam Amanta (Sanglamore), who is a half-sister to Siamsa (Quest For Fame), dam of Derrinstown Stud Stakes winner and Irish Derby (Gr 1, 1m 4f) third Light Heavy (Teofilo) and the second dam of Irish 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) and Futurity Trophy (Gr 1, 1m) winner Mac Swiney (New Approach) and Parish Hall (Teofilo), who was successful in the Dewhurst Stakes (Gr 1, 7f).
Loughmore Stables offers a Zoustar half-sister to the Sweet Mimosa Stakes (Listed, 6f) winner Wren’s Breath (Elzaam) and the Norfolk Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) runner-up Santry (Harbour Watch) at lot 344. Their Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) dam, Babylonian, also boasts the perfect strike-rate as a broodmare with six winners from six runners.
Loughmore’s Kitty Cowhey said: “We are consigning her on behalf of her breeder. She is a big, scopey filly with a really good walk. She is a lovely filly with a great temperament and obviously with the sire getting a Group 1-winning daughter at the weekend, his fillies are popular here.”
Her second dam Evil Empire (Acatenago) was a Group 3- and Listed-winner in Germany, where she was also twice Classic-placed, in the Preis der Diana (Gr 1, 2200m) and German 1,000 Guineas (Gr 2, 1600m). At stud she has produced the Zetland Stakes (Listed, 1m 2f) winner and Criterium de Saint-Cloud (Gr 1, 200m) third Empire Day (Lomitas).
Evil Empire is an Acatenango (Surumu) full-sister to the Deutsches St Leger (Gr 3, 2800m) winner El Tango and a half-sister to Preis der Diana second El Tiger (Tiger Hill).
The final Zoustar filly through the ring at Goffs Orby this week is Baroda Stud’s half-sister to the multiple Listed-placed performer Golden Spell, a daughter of Al Kazeem (Dubawi) (lot 410).
She is the third foal out of Cross Pattee, an Oasis Dream (Green Desert) close relation to the King Edward VII Stakes (Gr 2, 1m 4f) winner Across The Stars, by Sea The Stars (Cape Cross). Cross Pattee is also a half-sister to Hardwicke Stakes (Gr 2, 1m 4f) winner Bronze Cannon and the Grade 3-winning filly Valiant Girl, both from Lemon Drop Kid (Kingmambo). Another of her half-sisters, Crimson Ribbon (Lemon Drop Kid), has foaled the Listed-winners Crimson Rosette (Teofilo) and Astronomos (New Approach).
“She is a lovely filly, a really good walker with a great temperament and she looks precocious,” said David Cox.
“I’ve been told by a lot of contacts in Australia that Zoustar’s progeny are more backend two-year-olds and three-year-olds, and we are seeing that play out here too, but this filly looks like she could be an early type.”
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