breednet.com.au

Espionage Ruled Out of Spring

Tara Madgwick - Sunday September 15

With one Zoustar colt Growing Empire flying high this spring on the path to possible Group I glory, another has been ruled out with James Harron Bloodstock issuing a brief statement today on Espionage, who won last year’s Group III ATC Breeders Plate.

Espionage will not be a player this spring - image Steve Hart

Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Espionage was last seen winning the Group III ATC Kindergarten Stakes during the autumn and trialled recently at Randwick in preparation for his spring return.

Advertisement

Am incident on the walker has led to an injury that will require surgery and as a result he will not be racing this year which is a disappointing blow to his new ownership group that includes Coolmore.

 

Advertisment
More Reading...
Bourbon Empress a Great Result for Highline Thoroughbreds
The emergence of Bourbon Empress has gone a long way toward confirming a future plan for Highline Thoroughbreds.
Vale, Hayasugi
A brilliant winner of the 2024 Group I MRC Blue Diamond Stakes, top class three year-old filly Hayasugi is sadly no longer with us with her trainer Clinton McDonald announcing the tragic news of her passing on Thursday.
G1 Target for Super Seth 3YO
A Group One target is in the offing for exciting three-year-old Poetic Champion following his victory in the TAB 1200 at Ellerslie on New Year's Day.
G2 Next for Cambridge Stud's Frostfair
Frostfair will be given her first tilt at stakes level later this month after she recorded her third successive win at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day in the Barfoot & Thompson 1400.
Deep Field Does it Again with a New HK Stakes-Winner
Now pensioned Deep Field is well on his way to a fourth consecutive Champion HK Sire title and added a new stakes-winner to his tally at Sha Tin on New Year’s Day when Howdeepisyourlove took out the Group III Bauhinia Sprint Trophy (1000m).
Zoustar's Espionage Leads Home a Waterhouse/Bott Trifecta in Breeders' Plate
A trifecta for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott in the Group III Arrowfield Breeders’ Plate (1000m) at Randwick as the $1,000,000 Zoustar colt Espionage led home stablemates Straight Charge and Prost.
Zoustar Starts 2025 with New Stakes-Winner
Widden Stud’s Zoustar was the leading sire of winners in the world for 2024 with a final tally of 295 including 22 stakes-winners and he’s wasted no time getting on the board for 2025 with his talented son Patch of Theta scoring a dominant win in the Group III Chinese Club Challenge Cup (1400m) at Sha Tin on New Year’s Day.
$1million Zoustar Colt Wins G3 Kindergarten
A determined winner of the Group III ATC Breeder's Plate on debut last spring, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Espionage missed a run in the Golden Slipper when his prizemoney total left him just outside the final field, but he made amends when making light of the heavy ground at Randwick on Saturday to win the $250,000 Group III ATC Kindergarten Stakes (1100m).
One to Watch – New Year’s Day
There was an overload of racing right around the country on New Year’s Day and rightly so given our national interest in horse racing as a sport to be enjoyed over the holiday break and there was a winner that did catch my eye, but until now have not had a chance to put my thoughts into a story.
Cressfield Magic Opportunities
Hunter Valley nursery Cressfield is a name synonymous with elite female pedigrees and Group I performers with their current star flagbearer a filly purchased from their draft at Magic Millions in 2022 for a modest $140,000.