Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Thursday October 5

A stakes winner with his first runner would be a dream start for any stallion and Zoustar gets his chance to achieve that feat at Flemington on Saturday in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes.

Following a hugely impressive win in a barrier trial at Cranbourne on September 4, the Tony McEvoy trained filly Sunlight will be favoured to make a winning debut under Luke Currie.

Consigned by Widden Stud to the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Sunlight was purchased for $300,000 by Aquis/McEvoy Mitchell Racing/Blue Sky Bloodstock.

Sunlight (pictured as a yearling) is the fourth foal of the brilliantly fast Solar Charged whose pedigree is inextricably linked to one man, Peter Horwitz.


Horwitz bred and raced Solar Charged who is by the Horwitz raced stallion Charge Forward out of another Horwitz bred and owned mare Soul Singer (Danehill) who was out of another Horwitz owned mare Aretha who was a daughter of the best racehorse to race in the Horwitz silks, the Golden Slipper hero Sir Dapper.

Solar Charged made a winning debut over 1000 metres on the Kensington track back on November 28, 2009.

She became a stakes winner at her next start in the Group III AJC Kindergarten Stakes. Following a third behind Military Rose in the Group II Reisling Stakes, Solar Charged rounded her juvenile season out with a credible sixth in Crystal Lily’s Golden Slipper.

After placing in the San Domenico Stakes and Silver Shadow Stakes, Solar Charged won the Group III Thoroughbred Club Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield which proved to be her last victory.

The daughter of Charge Forward placed in the Group II Challenge Stakes and Group III Rubiton Stakes before an embarking on her career as a broodmare.

A half-sister to dual Listed winner Causeway Queen (Giant’s Causeway) and the multiple stakes-placed Brave Soul (More Than Ready), Solar Charged had fillies by Lonhro and Street Cry (IRE) before being consigned to the 2014 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale when in foal to Sebring.

She was knocked down to Widden Stud/Qatar Bloodstock for $650,000.

Following the purchase Widden Sud’s Antony Thompson commented; "She’s a beautiful mare Solar Charged, just a beautiful strong and fast mare – everything you want to put her to Zoustar. She’ll be a star mare for him in his first season.”

The Sebring filly Solar Charged was carrying at the time of her sale was consigned to the 2016 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale where she was purchased by Emirates Park for $350,000.

Named Sheikha and sent Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, she won at Warwick Farm in March before finishing third in the Group III Kindergarten Stakes at Randwick won by Property.

Solar Charged produced her fifth consecutive filly, another daughter of Zoustar before visiting Sebring again last spring.

Zoustar divides his time between Widden and Woodside Park Stud where he stands in 2017 at a fee of $44,000.

The dual Group 1 winning son of Northern Meteor had 87 first crop yearlings sell in 2017 at an average of $183,600.

They were highlighted by Edinglassie Stud’s three-quarter sister to Shooting To Win and Deep Field who was purchased by Bruce Perry Bloodstock for $1 million at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale. 

Advertisment
More Reading...
Better Than Ready's Port Lockroy Triumphs in G1 Railway Stakes
Interstate visitors have a poor winning record in the $1,500,000 Group 1 Swan Draught - Railway Stakes, but Port Lockroy played his part in squaring the ledger when choosing the perfect spot to end a run of bad luck in stakes races.
New French Stakes-Winner for Churchill
Currently finishing his seventh season of shuttling to Coolmore Australia, Churchill has had a productive year and sired his 16th stakes-winner of 2024 when progressive three year-old filly Some Skye landed the Listed Grand Prix de Fontainebleau (1900m) at Chantilly.
Cosmic Vega Breaks Through in Kilmore Cup
A rapidly deteriorating track at Kilmore proved the winning formula for the Irish import Cosmic Vega (IRE) and visiting English rider Saffie Osborne to open their Australian accounts in Sunday’s $200,000 Listed Bet365 Kilmore Cup (1600m).
Aussie Mare Youngstar Produces Exciting Japanese G3 Winner
Australian Group I winning half-sisters Youngstar and Funstar are both at stud in Japan and the former has a very smart two year-old colt in Eri King, who made it three wins from three starts when taking out the Group III Radio Nikkei Hai Kyoto Nissai Stakes (2000m) on Saturday.
$2000 Mare Wins Winton Cup
Exciting southern mare The Grey Goose continued her faultless preparation with an impressive performance to win Sunday’s Hyde Landscaping and Wash Rite Winton Cup (1400m) at Ascot Park.
Expensive Xtravagant Wins $1million Meteorite
The highest priced yearling by Xtravagant sold in 2022, progressive sprinter Nadal (Xtravagant) produced an explosive turn of foot to come from near last to win the inaugural running of today’s $1m The Ladbrokes Meteorite at Cranbourne.
Sun City Filly to Target Karaka Million
The Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) has been the goal for Sierra Leone from the moment she was purchased at the Yearling Sales, and she took an important step towards the $1 million feature with a game second in Saturday’s Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m).
One to Watch – Canberra
At the 2023 Magic Millions Yearling Sale on the Gold Coast US investors Richard and Tammy Rigney of Rigney Racing purchased two yearling fillies by I Am Invincible for $2million and $1.2million and got a result with one of them in Canberra on Sunday.
Do Deuce From Last to First in Japan Cup
The visitors were once again humbled by the locals in the 44th running of Sunday’s Group 1 Longines Japan Cup (2400m) at Tokyo Racecourse.
Sires With Winners - Saturday November 23
Here is the full list of 117 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.