Joyous scenes for Baker and King as Ozzmosis lands Coolmore Stud Stakes
Son of Zoustar emulates his sire with pillar-to-post victory in Flemington’s time-honoured Group 1
Ozzmosis (Zoustar) added his name to an illustrious list of Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winners and secured himself a place at stud when he produced a gutsy effort to land the $2 million contest at Flemington yesterday.
The son of Zoustar (Northern Meteor) made an instant impact when landing his first two starts as a juvenile, leading Henry Field’s Newgate Farm and their partners to purchase a share in the colt.
Ozzmosis landed his seasonal reappearance this preparation with a victory in the Heritage Stakes (Listed, 1100m) first-up at Rosehill in September, before then running third in the Roman Consul Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) on his previous start, finishing just shy of two lengths behind King’s Gambit (I Am Invincible) as the $2.50 favourite.
However, Bjorn Baker felt that effort was not the colt’s true showing, and was pleased with the recent track workout leading up to yesterday’s event.
“I didn’t think he was quite right [in the Roman Consul]. He didn’t parade great and he didn’t look fantastic,” Baker said, who was adding a fourth Group 1 to his CV since becoming a trainer in his own right.
“He went down to Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young’s stable at Cranbourne and he’s just thrived.
“His jump–out last week was sensational. It is a massive day and we’ve got a Zoustar colt going to stud.”
Ridden by Rachel King, who had been aboard for both starts this campaign, Ozzmosis jumped well from barrier four and took up the lead from the beginning. Holding a narrow advantage at the 300-metre mark, the colt found plenty for pressure to extend and hold off I Am Unstoppable (I Am Invincible) by a length and a quarter, with just a head further back to last season’s Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Shinzo (Snitzel) in third.
Ozzmosis is the fourth generation of his sireline to win the Coolmore Stud Stakes, following his sire Zoustar (2013), Northern Meteor (2008) and Encosta De Lago (Fairy King) (1996) in landing the three-year-old feature.
Yesterday’s victory provided Widden Stud’s Zoustar with his sixth individual elite-level winner, but more importantly, his first Group 1-winning colt.
In winning yesterday’s race Ozzmosis became the stallion’s second winner of the time-honoured Group 1, with the first coming in 2018 when his star filly Sunlight led home Zousain and Lean Mean Machine, handing the stallion an impressive trifecta in the race.
Bred by China Horse Club, Ozzmosis was a $250,000 purchase out of the Sledmere Stud draft for owners Darby Racing at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
“Darby Racing have been great supporters, they keep finding good ones,” Baker said.
“Massive result, this horse is a superstar. Lots of pressure. He’s a good colt, we’ve got a couple of the smartest people in racing in him and it starts with Scott Darby, he’s a superstar.
“I’ve had a very lucky career in the lucky country, this is a career changing [moment] for me. He’s a Zoustar colt, he is a superstar. Zoustar won this race.
“The first gallop he had, he just put his hand up. It didn’t work out last time [but] we were confident we had him right. I was very confident he’d run well but it is hard to be confident coming here.”
For King, it was a history-making success, as she became the first female to win the Coolmore Stud Stakes in the race’s 160-year history.
“This is definitely top of the tree,” a delighted King said when asked where yesterday’s success ranked in her career. “It is unbelievable.”
She continued: “I love coming down here [Melbourne] and I’ve never really come down with as good a chance as him. It is a huge honour to stick with the horse.
“I can’t even describe it, Derby Day was the first day I ever rode at Flemington and it was down the straight, to be able to break my duck here at Flemington with a Group 1 winner is just unbelievable. To do it for Bjorn and the team, he’s just my biggest supporter, especially these owners as well, I’m speechless.
“I couldn’t believe how well he just travelled, I had to take a second look when I was at the 300 [metres] and I was still travelling, today’s the first day I’ve ridden him where I haven’t had to put pressure on him early because up the straight just made it easier for him.
“He got a bit lonely, got a bit lost on his own up the straight the first time and I think if anything it got to him. He’s got another couple of lengths up his sleeve. He’s a freak.”
Ozzmosis (3 c ex No More Tears by Darci Brahma) is the second winner out of the Group 3-winning Darci Brahma (Danehill) mare No More Tears, herself from the family of Group 2 winners Hips Don’t Lie (Stravinsky), Splintex (Snitzel) and last season’s star juvenile Learning to Fly (Justify).
No More Tears was a $550,000 purchase for China Horse Club from the Attunga Stud draft at the 2018 National Broodmare Sale and has a yearling colt to follow by Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj), while she is also due to foal again to Zoustar.
Her two year-old colt by Zoustar was passed in at Magic Millions this year and retained by China Horse Club with the name Olufsen.
In winning yesterday’s race, Ozzmosis etches his name on the honour board which includes stallions Home Affairs (2021), Exceedance (2019), Merchant Navy (2017), Flying Artie (2016), Brazen Beau (2014) to name a small few.