With Ozzmosis jumping in the air and almost unseating Rachel King and several jockeys coming back with hard luck stories, the Group 1 Kia Ora Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill had an air of what might have been. Still, it did have a most likeable winner in Zapateo.
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Ridden by Kerrin McEvoy for James Cummings, the 5-year-old daughter of Brazen Beau was in the right spot at the right time to overpower Sunshine In Paris by a head. The daughter of Invader was making her first start since defeating Espiona and Zapateo in the Group II Sheraco Stakes last September.
The courageous Front Page (Magnus) gave connections the thrill of a lifetime when he led until the shadows of the post to finish a long head behind Sunshine In Paris.
Placed in two of her three previous starts at the elite level, Zapateo advances her record to eight wins, five seconds, and four thirds from 25 starts with earnings of $1,740,250.
“It’s so important for Zapateo. She’s a phenomenal racehorse by Brazen Beau and she just needed that Group 1 on her CV,” James Cummings said.
“She was very good first up, I know she was beaten by Kallos but we had great faith that there was improvement in her and a month into the weight-for-age run in the Challenge last start, she was good.
“She beat home the stablemate (Aft Cabin), who was the tip horse out of the stable.
“Kerrin gave her the run of the race, and it makes all the difference in a handicap.
“It seemed to me that a lot went wrong for Aft Cabin, he was put out of the race by some interference there early and just got dragged way too far back.
“But when Zapateo was able to make her own luck, she was in that second line of the speed horses, Kerrin had her travelling sweetly and she was looming up as a massive chance.
“You just had to have full faith in the horse. She’s had the runs, she’s had the right prep and her fitness got her over the line.
“Now she’s got the Group 1 on her CV, which is just huge for her and huge for the farm. Everyone is going to be rapt about that.”
A homebred for Godolphin, Zapateo is the fifth of six foals left by the Lonhro mare Jerezana before her premature death in 2019.
Winner of the Listed Ramornie Handicap, Jerezana proved to be an outstanding servant for Darley. Her first five foals to race displayed well above-average ability.
The high-class gelding Osborne Bulls leads the way. His nine wins from 20 starts included the Group II VRC TAB Stakes, Listed Regal Roller Stakes and Listed Luskin Star Stakes. He was runner-up in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap, Group 1 All-Aged Stakes, Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes, Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes, and third in The Everest. The son of Street Cry (IRE) contributed $2,871,760 to the Godolphin coffers.
The final foal of Jerezana is the 3yo Street Boss (USA) colt Zaragoza, who broke his maiden at Kembla in January at start three.
Jerezana’s half-sister Patina (Anabaa) is the dam of the Group II Roman Consul Stakes winner Viridine (Poet’s Voice).
Zapateo is the second Group 1 winner for Brazen Beau after the Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes winner On The Bubbles.
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