Sporting her distinctive leopard print and salmon sleeves silks, the Tony Gollen-trained Zoustar filly Liza With A Zee opened her winning account at the second time of asking in Wednesday’s Darby McCarthy Tribute Maiden Plate (1050m) at Doomben.
Making her first start since failing behind Gotta Kiss when making her debut at Eagle Farm in December, Liza With A Zee tracked the early speed set by Booming Town and when Jim Byrne asked for the supreme effort at the 300 metres the daughter of Zoustar put the race to bed in a matter of strides.
At the line, she had a three and a half-length advantage over Booming Town (Better Than Ready) who held second by a nose from the filly Shoulders (Snitzel).
Liza With A Zee was a $150,000 purchase by Gollan Racing/J Foote B/stock/Black Soil B/stock out of the Widden Stud draft ay the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
She is the first foal of the lightly raced Hinchinbrook mare Leap Lively who was purchased by Widden for $75,000 at the 2016 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
A half-sister to Group III MRC Thousand Guineas Prelude winner Bliss Street and Group III ATC Sweet Embrace Stakes winner Jade Marauder, Leap Lively has a yearling colt by Star Witness who was purchased by Hancox Bloodstock for $37,000 at this year’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
After foaling a Nicconi filly last spring, Leap Lively was bred back to Star Witness.
Liza With A Zee is the second two-year-old winner this season for Zoustar whose 2020 service fee has been set at $121,000 at Widden Stud.