Ozzmosis has the job of continuing his family’s amazing connection with the Coolmore Stud Stakes when the $2 million Group 1 is run at Flemington this Saturday.
The Bjorn Baker-trained colt is out to become a fourth generation winner of the 1200-metre event that has risen to become the most significant race for three-year-old colts on the Australian calendar.
Ozzmosis is by Zoustar, who won the Coolmore Stud Stakes in 2013, five years after his sire Northern Meteor won the race.
Back when the race was known as the Ascot Vale Stakes – before it moved to Derby Day, which coincided with its elevation to Group 1 status – Northern Meteor’s sire Encosta De Lago won it in 1996.
Baker recognises the 19-horse field that contains the Golden Slipper trifecta of Shinzo, Cylinder and King’s Gambit, plus local stars including Stretan Angel, Steparty and I Am Unstoppable, is not going to be easy but is an obvious target for his classy colt.
“He is a well-bred colt, he’s got a great attitude and I think he can run a big one,” Baker said.
“It is obviously going to be a very hard race, but he is in good order.”
Ozzmosis, a $250,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling, is out of the Darci Brahma mare No More Tears, who is a daughter of Ocean Of Tears.
Ocean Of Tears (Minardi) is from the Centaine mare Procure, which makes her a half-sister to Hips Don’t Lie, the dam of Acrobat, Lake Geneva and Ennis Hill, who is the dam of one of last season’s top two-year-olds Learning To Fly.
Ozzmosis did not debut until late May, when he won easily at Gosford, before a similarly impressive win at Randwick on June 10.
He was then put away to be prepared for his three-year-old season and made it three from three in the Listed Heritage Stakes before a third placing in the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) won by Coolmore rival King’s Gambit.
The Darby Racing-owned colt tuned up for the Coolmore with a slick Flemington jumpout win last Friday, leaving Baker and raceday jockey Rachel King happy.
“Rachel was very happy with him, so that gives us a bit of confidence going into Saturday,” Baker said.
“He seems to have settled in well down there and we’re very happy with him going into the race.”
Zoustar is the only stallion represented in this year’s Coolmore Stud Stakes who is a past winner, but three others have supplied winners of the race.
I Am Invincible, who has King’s Gambit, I Am Unstoppable and Tiz Invincible engaged, is the sire of Brazen Beau (2014), Home Affairs (2021) and In Secret (2022), Cylinder’s sire Exceed And Excel is a two-time winner of the race, while Steparty’s sire Artie Schiller produced Flying Artie to win in 2016.
