By Sean Cronin
Marc Chan and Andrew Rosen's 2-year-old filly Lezoo (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}), making a swift return after running second in Newmarket's July 8 G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. last time, notched a landmark score in Saturday's G3 Princess Margaret Keeneland S. at Ascot to become her sire's first Northern Hemisphere pattern-race winner in the six-furlong dash. She had previously posted victories in a June 11 novices' heat over five furlongs at Bath and when upped to six furlongs for Newmarket's June 25 Listed Empress Fillies' S. in her penultimate start. Positioned off the early tempo after a slightly awkward exit from the stands' side stall, the 6-5 favourite made smooth headway from halfway to launch her challenge at the quarter-mile marker and kept on strongly once hitting the front soon after to withstand the late rattle of the hitherto undefeated Kinta (Ire) (Sioux Nation) by a length.
“She's a tough girl, four runs in five weeks, and I wish they were all like her,” commented trainer Ralph Beckett. “She has just thrived on her racing, it is great to get it done and now we will think about the [G1] Cheveley Park. I really didn't intend to run her here after Newmarket, I thought we would go to the [G2] Lowther as I felt York would really suit her as a racecourse, as a track as well. Andrew Rosen, her part-owner, has had horses in England for 15 years and he has never seen one of them win. He's here today, so it is a good day for all concerned. We will go to the Lowther next, probably. We will keep running her and, if she keeps going like this, we will keep running her and won't stand in her way. When the ball is at your feet, it is a good idea to kick it.”
Pedigree Notes
Lezoo, already the first Northern Hemisphere-bred stakes winner for her reverse shuttle sire, is now the first at group level, as well. Zoustar began shuttling to Tweenhills Stud in 2019. He is the sire of 30 black-type winners–22 group–after Lezou's victory, and already owns Champion First-Season, Second-Season, and Third-Season sire titles from his Widden Stud base in New South Wales. His best progeny include Group 1 winners Sunlight (Aus), Zoutori (Aus), and Mizzy (Aus), while his dual Group 2-winning son and young sire Lean Mean Machine (Aus) was also third in the G1 Coolmore Stud S. to Sunlight and G2 Champagne Classic hero Zousain (Aus), also a sire.
The sixth foal from her G3 Firth Of Clyde S.-winning dam, Lezoo is bred on a similar cross to Zoustar's G3 Maribyrnong Plate winner Brereton (Aus), who is out of a Red Ransom mare. Roger Sez (Ire) is by Red Clubs (Ire), who scored his greatest victory in the G1 Betfred Sprint Cup in 2007, and is a son of Red Ransom. Her latest foal is a yearling filly by Territories (Ire).
Affair Of State (Ire) (Tate Gallery), the third dam of Lezoo, won at the listed level, and is also the dam of stakes winner Bibury Flyer (GB) (Zafonic), as well as the group-placed Hello Glory (GB) (Zamindar) and the stakes-placed Statesman (GB) (Doyoun {Ire}). Another of her daughters, the winning Star Now (GB) (Librettist), is the dam of G3 Polar Cup victor Tinnitus (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}).
Saturday, Ascot, Britain
PRINCESS MARGARET KEENELAND S.-G3, £60,000, Ascot, 7-23, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:14.07, g/f.
1–LEZOO (GB), 128, f, 2, by Zoustar (Aus)
1st Dam: Roger Sez (Ire) (GSW-Eng, $125,831), by Red Clubs (Ire)
2nd Dam: Stately Princess (GB), by Robellino
3rd Dam: Affair of State (Ire), by Tate Gallery
1ST GROUP WIN. (77,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT; €110,000 2yo '22 ARQMAY). O-Marc Chan & Andrew Rosen; B-Chasemore Farm (GB); T-Ralph Beckett; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £34,026. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, $102,086. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Kinta (Ire), 128, f, 2, Sioux Nation–Qamarain, by Hard Spun. 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€16,000 Ylg '21 GOAUTY; £115,500 2yo '22 TATBRG). O-Mr & Mrs R. Scott; B-David Halley (IRE); T-George Boughey. £12,900.
3–Breege (GB), 128, f, 2, Starspangledbanner (Aus)–Wowcha (Ire), by Zoffany (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Chasemore Farm (GB); T-John Quinn. £6,456.
Margins: 1, 2HF, NK. Odds: 1.20, 7.00, 12.00.
Also Ran: Minnetonka (Ire), Cuban Mistress (GB), Glenlaurel (Ire), Royal Charter (GB), Palm Lily (Ire), Omniqueen (GB). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
— (@WorldRacing1) July 23, 2022
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