Riverstone’s entry into the stallion market via Breeders’ Cup winner Starlust has been described by the Hunter Valley farm as a “game-changer” for the fledgling operation.
Starlust became Zoustar’s highest rated son globally when he won the Group 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint last November, charging home over the five furlongs at Del Mar for trainer Ralph Beckett.
He now finds himself a home at stud at Riverstone, in Blandford, where he wills and at $27,500 (inc GST).
“This is a genuine game-changer for us,” said Nick Taylor, Managing Director of Riverstone Stallions. “To have a stallion of Starlust’s calibre, one who has conquered the world’s fastest horses on the biggest stage, as our foundation stallion is beyond exciting.”
A three-time winner in the United Kingdom as a two-year-old, Starlust ran a slashing third in the Group 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint when ridden by Frankie Dettori.
He then returned as a three-year-old to win two races, including a stakes race, at York before running third in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes, edging out Australian Royal Ascot hero Asfooora, who finished fourth.
Beckett then sent him across the Atlantic again to tackle the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, where Rossa Ryan brought him with a perfectly timed run to win the race, giving Zoustar his second Northern Hemisphere Group 1 victory as a stallion and the first by one of his sons.
He becomes just the second winner of that race to stand at stud in Australia and being by one of Australia leading stallions out of an Invincible Spirit mare, he is likely to attract substantial interest to Australian breeders.
He will be one of seven sons of Zoustar to stand in Australia this season.
Bren O’Brien
