Ringing Zoustar endorsement in P J Bell Stakes at Randwick
Joliestar stole the Zoustar (Northern Meteor) headlines when winning the T J Smith Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) on Saturday but racegoers left Randwick with another ringing Zoustar endorsement courtesy of his unbeaten filly Plaintiff.
Plaintiff signed off Day 1 of The Championships with a last-to-first victory in the P J Bell Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m), defeating Nepo Baby (Lucky Vega) and Tomato Toastie (Too Darn Hot). She jumped from an outside gate and went via the cape on the corner for Jordan Childs to score by a half-length.
“That’s four-from-four and now she’s a black-type winner,” trainer Peter Snowden said. “It didn’t surprise me, she’s always shown a fair bit of ability and her work has been great. The good ones always run well, no matter the conditions or what barrier they draw, they always run well and she did that today.
“She’s only lightly raced and is still untapped with plenty of potential. And I’m so glad for Jordan, he gave up a full book of rides to come up here and ride her.”
On Tuesday morning, assistant trainer Aaron Lau reported she had pulled up extra well ahead of her next assignment in the James H B Carr Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) at Randwick on Saturday week, April 18.
“The race worked out well and she really delivered,” Childs said. “I wanted to be closer in the run but she just stepped a little bit slow with the blinkers on for the first time. I had to go to Plan B and she travelled up nicely in the running line and, once I let her go, she showed a great turn of foot.
“She was first-up today and just peaked on her run the last little bit. She will take plenty of improvement from the outing and it’s great to get a winner for Peter Snowden and John Camilleri who has been a great supporter of mine.”
Fairway Thoroughbreds’ John Camilleri is overseas and missed Saturday’s celebrations but is no stranger to creating headlines having bred superstar mare Winx (Street Cry). He paid $2.2 million for Plaintiff on the opening day of the 2024 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, which made her the most expensive yearling sold that year in the southern hemisphere.
That mark only lasted 24 hours however, with the Winx filly by Pierro (Lonhro) selling to Debbie Kepitis for a world-record $10 million on day two.
Widden Stud stands Zoustar and sold Plaintiff to agent James Harron acting on behalf of Camilleri and his wife Deb.
“She’s very, very special and was a standout for us,” Harron declared. “It was obvious we would have to push very hard for her so we did.
“Zoustar is absolutely flying and his fillies are doing an outstanding job as well. She is a great type, obviously a beautiful filly, lovely quality, fantastic depth to her and a really lovely action, just a very special filly.
“The family has been bred up really nicely and it’s one of those pages that you might look back on in ten years and see it’s thickened right out from what is a really tough, high-end race mare.”
Widden owner Antony Thompson bred Plaintiff in partnership and recalled there were numerous good judges on her at Riverside Stables.
“She’s a gorgeous filly and one you would really stretch for,” he said. “We always had really high expectations and you never really know but to see her sell the way she has is unbelievable.
“She presented so well all week and everybody who saw her loved her, and you saw that around the ring with four or five serious teams playing well above the $1 million mark.
Plaintiff is the final foal from Prompt Response (Beneteau), who won at Group 1 level in the 2018 Tatts Tiara (1400m) at Doomben for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. That came on the back of earlier black-type victories in the Twilight Glow Stakes (Listed, 1400m) in Melbourne, Dane Ripper Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) in Brisbane and ATC Breeders’ Classic (Gr 2, 1200m) and Emancipation Stakes (Gr 2, 1500m) in Sydney.
Her older full-brother Prompt Return won a VRC Maribyrnong Plate (Gr 3, 1000m) and there’s black-type right down the page to NZ-bred third-dam Amnesia (Desert Sun) who was Group 2 placed.
Plaintiff is the 78th black-type winner by Zoustar and minutes later Zoupurring notched No.79 in the Railway Stakes (LR, 1100m) at Oakbank. The latter sold for $100,000 at the 2021 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale to Bennett Racing out of the consignment from Rosemont Stud.
Zoustaris Australia’s reigning champion sire and Saturday’s treble has him second to Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) on the premiership table for 2025-26. He retired to Widden Stud following Group 1 triumphs in the Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) and Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) and was an immediate stud success generating year-on-year fee increases from $44,000 to $275,000 (inc GST) in 2025.
Thompson is a seventh-generation member of a family that has stood champion sires like Vain (Wilkes), Bletchingly (Biscay) and Marscay (Biscay) at the historic Hunter Valley stud.
“It’s incredibly hard thing to have a champion stallion,” Thompson said after Zoustar won it last year.
“We obviously have a great history with standing some of the greatest Australian sires but it was 35 years between Marscay and Zoustar. It was a huge achievement and we’re obviously proud of everything Zoustar has achieved.
“We took a big position with him and have always had enormous belief so it’s very satisfying to see him doing what he’s doing. It’s phenomenal.”