Zoustar has become just the fifth Australian-bred sire to produce a winner of a Breeders’ Cup race, after the victory of Starlust in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar.
Starlust, who was conceived at Zoustar’s northern hemisphere base of Tweenhills, is trained by Ralph Beckett and came with a barnstorming finish to win the Sprint, defeating Motorious and Ag Bullet, Zoustar’s soon to be barnmate at Widden, Cogburn, was the favourite in the race but faded after leading the field for home.
It was a marquee day for Zoustar, who won the Coolmore Stud Stakes 11 years ago to the day and has since become a commercial powerhouse for Widden.
He now has nine global Group 1 winners globally, seven in the Southern Hemisphere and two in the Northern Hemisphere.
He joins Exceed And Excel, Fastnet Rock, Choisir and Strawberry Road as Australian-bred stallions to have produced a winner of a Breeders’ Cup race. Choisir’s Obviously won the Turf Sprint back in 2016.
Starlust survived a stewards’ inquiry to land the win for Beckett and Rossa Ryan, who had combined to win the Prix de l’arc de Triomphe last month.
“He’s a really tough horse, not had a break all year," Beckett said. "He had a tough trip in the l’Abbaye last time but today he was very good. Rossa Ryan gets better by the month. It’s his third or fourth year with us and today he was at his very best.”
“The way he rode Bluestocking in the Arc was very different to today and I’m very proud of what he’s achieved. What a day!”
Go on @Rossaryan15! Starlust shines brightest in the @BreedersCup Turf Sprint for @RalphBeckett! #BC24 pic.twitter.com/hz9ofEhflh
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 2, 2024
The Zoustar colt is out of a mare by the recently pensioned Invincible Spirit, who shuttled to Australia, and left a massive influence thorough his champion sire son I Am Invincible.
On a day where Sierra Leone took out the Breeders’ Cup Classic and Rebel’s Romance the Breeders’ Cup Turf, the legendary More Than Ready, the former Vinery stallion who died in 2022, had his eighth Breeders’ Cup winner when More Than Looks won the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
There was a sour moment on the feature second day of the Del Mar meeting with the death of Jayarebe in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Overall interest in the two-day meeting was very high, with post-meeting wagering figures showing turnover at $179 million, up on last year and the third-highest on record.
Attendance is capped at Del Mar with Saturday’s crowd at 36,436 and the total two-day attendance at 67,418.
Bren O’Brien
