Zoustar

Willie Browne's unbeaten Port Augusta (GB), who racked up wins over six and seven furlongs at Dundalk over the winter, has been sold for "proper money" to Hong Kong. The legendary breeze-up handler has described his recent upsurge of form on the track as "a breath of fresh air" and, while the 77-year-old admitted to being sorry he couldn't hold on to a horse as talented as Port Augusta, he revealed the son of Zoustar (Aus) fulfilled what he was bought to do by getting sold.  A 75,000gns Book 1...

Zoustar (Aus) will not stand at Tweenhills for the 2024 covering season but will remain in Australia with plans for a return to Britain in 2025. The sire of Group 1-winning juvenile Lezoo (GB) was represented by the G1 Coolmore Stud S. winner Ozzmosis (Aus) at Flemington on Saturday. Tweenhills owner David Redvers said, "Following discussions with Antony Thompson of Widden Stud, it has been decided that after 11 consecutive Northern and Southern covering seasons, to rest Zoustar for six months in Australia. "Zoustar is happy, healthy and proving exceptionally fertile...

Qatar Racing has launched a competition to name two juvenile fillies from the second European crop of Tweenhills resident Zoustar (Aus). The horses in question are in training with John and Thady Gosden and Archie Watson, and are out of the mares Wind Fire and Out Of The Flames (GB) respectively. The latter is already the dam of a winner by Zoustar, Stars On Fire (Ire), trained by Wesley Ward. The competition can be entered on social media by following @Qatar_Racing (Twitter) or @qatarracingltd (Instagram) and replying to the posts...

NEWMARKET, UK -- "Trickledown" felt rather too contentious, given what was meanwhile happening to its proponents out there in the real world. In this environment, after all, the original label of "horse-and-sparrow economics" would always have conveyed the theory rather more intelligibly. Some alternative word was required on Friday, then, to describe how a rampant market at the front end of the Tattersalls October Sale was filtering somewhat more quietly into the base of the pyramid. In the end, the second half of Book 3--in which momentum reliably ebbs relative...

NEWMARKET, UK--There are plenty of troubling stories out in the big wide world at the moment, but buyers at the yearling sales so far this season appear not to be concerned or affected by a cost-of-living-crisis, with the Tattersalls Somerville Sale the latest to benefit from a boom in demand for young stock. The Somerville is only in its second year but it has already been pegged as an important fixture in the run of yearling sales and the 2022 renewal posted huge gains in all sectors. Four six-figure lots...

An unusually quiet Sunday on the European circuit allows a pause before the meeting that should only ever be referred to as Glorious Goodwood, and also some reflection on a truly special result at Ascot on Saturday afternoon. William Muir, a baby-faced veteran of the training ranks who now shares his licence with Chris Grassick, assessed the greatest win of his 30-year training career as "a big, big moment", and he deserves to enjoy that moment for days and weeks to come.  By now, the story of Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour...

Such a high-profile split, whether temporary or not, between Frankie Dettori and the John and Thady Gosden stable, has naturally dominated the headlines of the last week. Whatever one's thoughts of the events during and post-Royal Ascot, there was no mistaking the affection in which Dettori is held among racegoers as he was cheered back into the winner's enclosure on his sole ride in Britain since the Saturday of the royal meeting. He has nothing booked for this week either, but intriguingly Dettori has been snapped up by Charlie Appleby...

by Chris McGrath NEWMARKET, UK -- The world certainly looks a different place from when these babies slithered into the straw. A less frightening one, thankfully, to many breeders, who have been relieved by a remarkable strength and depth in all levels of the market after the global economy absorbed the shock of Covid. So while the Tattersalls December Foal Sale opened in the customary low register, business on Wednesday unequivocally maintained the buoyant morale established in other sectors. Indeed, the clearance rate of 84% was a session record, and...

Buyers at this weekend's Arqana August Yearling Sale will have the chance to get their hands on an extremely rare commodity when eight yearlings from the lone crop of 2018 Cartier Horse of the Year Roaring Lion go up for sale in Deauville. Qatar Racing's Roaring Lion was euthanized in August 2019 in New Zealand after suffering several bouts of colic. The grey had not long before finished covering a debut book at Tweenhills Stud in Britain that resulted in 90 registered foals. David Redvers, racing manager to Qatar Racing...

The delayed Goffs February Sale concluded on Thursday with Part 2, a session of 84 short yearlings. The difficulties presented by offering young stock in an online format were highlighted by a large number of withdrawals from the original catalogue of 228, and a clearance rate of 42%. The 35 horses to have found a buyer returned an average price of €10,311 and median of €8,000, and they added €360,900 to the overall tally for the sale which had to undergo both date and format changes. "Selling weanlings in March...

Kameko (Kitten's Joy-Sweeter Still {Ire}, by Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), who won this year's G1 2000 Guineas in race record time, will stand for £25,000 at Tweenhills Stud next year. In addition to the Guineas, Kameko won the G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy at two and the G2 Joel S. on Sept. 25 against elders. He was fourth this summer in the G1 Epsom Derby, G1 Sussex S. and G1 Juddmonte International. "It was hugely exciting to have Kameko arrive at Tweenhills last night and after a gruelling 40-hour journey from...

A gelded son of I Am Invincible (Aus) out of the New Zealand Group 3-placed Utopia (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) stole the limelight at the Hong Kong Jockey Club's International Sale on July 3, bringing a sale-topping price of HK$7.2-million (US$928,996/£745,519/€826,238) from Sze-to Kin Sun. The bay, who had been a A$1-million purchase from the 2018 Inglis Easter Sale from the Torryburn Stud consignment, is a half-brother to the G1 South Australian Derby winner Volatile Mix (NZ) (Pentire {GB}). The Australasian-bred offerings found favour at the sale, accounting for the...