Gilgai Farm have bred some amazingly good horses including Black Caviar, All Too Hard, Jameka, The Quarterback and more recently Ole Kirk, and while Oscar Zulu is not in their league yet, he is building an impressive record in Sydney over the winter posting his third consecutive victory at Rosehill on Saturday.
Prepared by Chris Waller, the three year-old son of Epaulette has been relishing the recent spate of wet tracks in Sydney and always looked to be in cruise control when contesting the Benchmark 88 event over 1500m named in honour of the late Lynette Lamphy.
Perfectly ridden by Kerrin McEvoy to stalk the two tearaway leaders, Oscar Zulu kept them in his sights and zoomed clear at the finish to win by a length and a quarter.
“It was a privilege to be running in the Lyn Lamphee memorial handicap, she was a great supporter of everyone on a racetrack and a beautiful lady that was sadly lost too early,” said Chris Waller.
“I think we’ve underestimated him (Oscar Zulu) a little bit, basically through a bit of bad luck, so I think he can keep going on and win a decent race.”
Group III placed in Brisbane in January, Oscar Zulu was also fourth and fifth in Group races in Sydney last spring and now has the overall record of five wins and two placings from 12 starts with prizemoney topping $400,000.
A $130,000 Magic Millions purchase from the Gilgai Farm draft for G & C Pastoral Co Pty Ltd, Oscar Zulu is the second winner for Ininthree (NZ), a daughter of renowned blue hen Parfore and sibling to Group I winners Terravista and Tiger Tees, Group II winner Ball of Muscle, Singapore Horse of the Year Super Easy and stakes-winner Our Lukas.
Another of Parfore’s non Black Type winning daughters is Frustrating, the dam of Karaka Million winner Long Leaf, so Oscar Zulu has a pedigree well and truly packed with Black Type.
Gilgai Farm sold a weanling colt by O’Reilly’s dual Group I winner Grunt at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale earlier this year for $155,000 and Ininthree is due to foal again to Grunt this spring..
Oscar Zulu looms as a future stakes-winner for his sire Epaulette, who stands at Darley NSW this spring at a fee of $16,500.