Zoufame, the emerging Bjorn Baker-trained sprinter, can help spur super sire Zoustar to another stallion premiership if he can take out the Cactus Imaging Handicap (1100m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Zoustar, the star resident at Widden Stud, is the nation’s reigning Champion Sire and has enjoyed another sensational season.
Although Zoustar will have to settle for second behind Snitzel for the Champion Sire title in 2025/26, he is in the mix to be the nation’s leading sire of winners.
Zoustar has sired 161 winners so far this season and is in a three-way tussle for the premiership with Capitalist (165 wins) and Toronado (163 wins).
“Zoustar’s had another great season,” Widden Stud supremo Antony Thompson told Racing And Sports.
“He’s second in terms of prizemoney and also individual stakeswinners to Snitzel, and he’s right in the mix for leading sire of winners.
“With nearly $21 million prizemoney overall, he’s had another cracking season.
“It would have been fantastic to seal a great year for Zoustar with a win by Joliestar at Royal Ascot but she went very close, unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be.”
Joliestar and a close third in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot to close out an outstanding season where she was Zoustar’s best performer, with wins in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes and TJ Smith Stakes, for nearly $5 million prizemoney.
Zoufame is not in Joliestar’s league but the promising three-year-old sprinter is the $3.70 favourite to record successive wins at Randwick.
Baker’s Zoufame was placed at his first two starts before resuming at Warwick Farm late last month for a convincing win over 1100m in slick time.
Zoustar is represented by four starters at the Randwick meeting including Thunderlips ($9) and Astero ($23) in the Toyota Forklifts Handicap (1400m).
Thunderlips, a stablemate of Zoufame, is on the back-up after finishing ninth in General Salute’s Winter Stakes last week and will appreciate the drop in grade while Asterio is fitter after two runs from a spell.
Zouripper ($7.50), another son of Zoustar, contests the Kieran Moore Handicap (1000m).
The Joe Price-trained Zouripper has been improved by two runs from a spell and indicated he was close to winning form with a close second to Ready To Shine at Rosehill two weeks ago.
