The Group I VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes this weekend is a race that has developed a deserved reputation as a sire making race and a foal image that arrived to the Breednet Foal Gallery on Monday is a colt with an undeniable connection to this pivotal race for the breeding industry.
Widden Stud sent in the latest foal (her 12th) from their blue hen producer Solar Charged.
This colt is by Zoustar, who won the Group I VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes in 2013 and his sire in turn Northern Meteor won the race in 2008 with both colts retiring to Widden.
Northern Meteor’s sire Encosta de Lago also won the race in 1996 when it was known as the Ascot Vale Stakes and run at G2 level.
Zoustar has sired two winners of the Coolmore Stud Stakes with Ozzmosis winning in 2023 and in 2018, champion filly Sunlight led home a trifecta for Zoustar when she beat the colts Zousain and Lean Mean Machine.
Sunlight is the best of three stakes-winners from Solar Charged with the other two being Group III winners Sisstar and Clean Energy, who sold for $2.6million at the 2023 Magic Millions and retired to stud this spring..
