Zoustar Entering the Zenith

The dictionary tells us Zenith is an astronomical term —describing the highest point in an arc travelled by a star, planet or another celestial body- and in the case of this story it’s planet Zoustar!

The sale earlier this week of high class Group II winning mare Olentia to rising global breeding entity Wathnan Racing for $2.6million got me thinking about her sire Zoustar and the considerable legacy he is leaving.

A grand-son of two time Australian champion sire Encosta de Lago, via his ill-fated son Northern Meteor, who died prematurely at Widden Stud after producing just four crops of foals, Zoustar represents all that is good about the Australian thoroughbred.

From a daughter of three time champion Australian sire Redoute’s Choice, his tail female line is all Australian back into the 1800’s and the names of iconic champion Australian sires Star Kingdom (IRE), Wilkes (FR) and Heroic have all added their merit to his genetic mix.

When Olentia sold for $2.6million she became the 11^th filly or mare by Zoustar to sell for $1million or more as a broodmare prospect which paints a pretty picture as to the high regard in which this newly minted 2024/2025 Champion Australian sire is held.

Of the 11 individual million dollar Zoustar mares, six of them now adorn the paddocks at Coolmore, which was home to his grand-sire Encosta de Lago and his sire in turn Fairy King, who shuttled to Australia briefly for just two seasons from headquarters in Ireland.

As a broodmare sire, Zoustar is in the very early stages of that facet of his stud career, but his daughters have already produced three stakes-winners from just 24 winners so far and they include Sunlight’s first foal Dawn Service, a Listed winner at Flemington by Justify (USA).

Zoustar is also making inroads as a sire of sires thanks to a raft of young stallions including Zousain, who has already achieved considerable success standing alongside his sire at Widden.

The stakes in this department has been upped considerably this spring with Australian breeders able to choose from three of his G1 winning sons.

Newgate Farm stand Ozzmosis, who covered 192 mares last spring and has his first foals now arriving, while Rosemont Stud’s Schwarz and Riverstone Lodge’s Starlust (GB) are first season.

A $1.25million yearling, Schwarz made progress in every preparation he had winning at Listed and Group III level as a 3YO before blossoming at four to win the Group I MVRC William Reid Stakes.

He put on a dazzling display that day to beat Group I winners Benedetta and Jimmysstar, who has already secured a slot for this year’s Everest.

Starlust is a Northern Hemisphere bred son of Zoustar, who was up and going early to win three times as a juvenile including the Group III Sirenia Stakes, which earned him a trip to the Group I Breeders Cup Turf Juvenile Sprint in which he ran third.

Starlust returned to the BC meeting at Santa Anita last year and atoned for his defeat by winning the Group I Breeder’s Cup Turf Sprint and closed out his career with a game fourth in the Group I Royal Ascot King Charles Stakes.

Also new to the mix is Yulong based Growing Empire, a two time Group III winner that also posted three Group I placings in The Everest, the VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes and the MVRC Manikato Stakes when he went down by an agonizing short head splitting Southport Tycoon and I Wish I Win.

With Zoustar now priced at $275,000, the race is on in earnest for breeders to get in on the ground floor of where his exciting sireline goes next!