Zoustar confirmed his title as the leading three-year-old sprinter in Australia with a dominant victory in the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick this afternoon.
Zoustar will head to the Coolmore Stud Stakes after his impressive win in the Roman Consul Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart
Zoustar was ridden in the middle of the field, after slightly missing the start, and cantered up on the outside of the field before racing away at the 200 metre mark to record an ultra-impressive four and a quarter lengths victory from Barbed and Open Book.
Trainer Chris Waller elected to set the son of Northern Meteor for the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) rather than the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) and based on the dominance of the three-year-olds performance today the decision looks a wise one.
“He is a very valuable colt and obviously a very good horse,” Waller said after the race.
“We got the colt out of the way and prepared him as a racehorse and that is what we have done today.
“His father was so explosive, I think he had a couple of track records, and I was in awe of him when we was racing for that short time.
“I will give this boy a chance to do what his father did and give him the chance to be better.”
Jim Cassidy gave up the ride on Hawkspur in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington to partner Zoustar this afternoon and he was clearly delighted with the nature of the three-year-olds victory.
“I hadn’t lost confidence in him at all from Brisbane I always knew that he would take the next step,” Cassidy said.
“After his track gallop Tuesday he showed me that he had really gone ahead and today he was ultra-impressive.
“I just gave him a little click on the top of the rise and he cruised up and I was as kind to him as I could be.”
Cassidy and Waller have formed a magnificent combination in recent years and the veteran jockey was brimming in praise for Waller’s training performance.
“It was a marvelous training performance to come back from a seven and get him to peak for a Group 1.
“He is going to go all the way these colts don’t worry about that.”
Zoustar is aiming to become the first horse in history to win the Golden Rose (1400m) and Coolmore Stud Stakes in the same year.
