Bennett Racing 4yo mare Zaszou showed a brilliant turn off foot to come from well back to score narrowly in the Listed Magic Millions Helen Coughlan Stakes over 1200m at Eagle Farm on Saturday and in doing so gain her 1st stakes success. The daughter of champion sire Zoustar, having her 1st start since beaten just under a length and a half in her unlucky most recent run in the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes in April, the 4yo mare was one of five runners to start at single figure odds in the final race on Eagle Farm’s bumper ten-race card on Saturday
With new jockey Ethan Brown on board the mare stepped slowly and was soon well back and along the rail, which was “off” on the day. She was travelling well though and coming to the turn the field fanned wide across the track. Near last on straightening, Ethan made the daring split decision to bring the mare to the inside of horses and she started to build momentum. Gradually as Ethan went to work on her, Zaszou just exploded and looked a real chance to get up at the 150m. The mare dug deep and although racing on the more choppy surface inside, Ethan lifted the mare and thrusted her to the line to win by a ½ head.
A brilliant daring ride by Ethan Brown and a very well deserved 1st stakes win to such an honest mare with a long range plan by Bennett Racing to ask the Stokes Team to aim the mare at the race. Robbie Hewetson and his Team at Muskoka Farm keep Zaszou in work whilst in NSW before transferring her to Ciaron Maher and his Team at Bong Bong Farm where the mare galloped and jumped out deserve some kudos as well.
Zaszou may get her chance now at the Gr1 Tatts Tiara 1400m in a couple of weeks.
Bred by Winton Bloodstock, Zaszou a $200,000 purchase by Bennett Racing from the Kitchwin Hills draft at the 2022 Magic Millions Yearling Sale. She is the third winner, and first stakes winner out of the Group 3 placed Zabeel mare Zasorceress, it is a prolific black type family with Zaszou’s dam being a three-quarter-sister to the Group 2 winner Lafleur (dam of Group 3 winner Amaryllis and Listed winner Papilio) and to Zygadene (dam of the Listed-winning, Group 1 place Wildflower).
Zaszou comes from one of the great families in the studbook tracing back to the family of her 4th dam Champion Habibti a 4 time Gr1 winner, with Habibti also being the 3rd dam of the great Humidor – VRC Australian Cup, Gr.1, Makybe Diva S., Gr.1, MRC Memsie S., Gr.1, VRC Blamey S., Gr.2, 2d ATC BMW S., Gr.1, MVRC WS Cox P., Gr.1, Hawkes Bay Livamol Classic, Gr.1, MRC Underwood S., Gr.1, 3d MVRC WS Cox P., Gr.1, VRC Turnbull S., Gr.1, MRC Caulfield S., Gr.1-twice, Underwood S., Gr.1. etc.
Habibti is also half-sister to Great Klaire (dam of St. Klaire dam of Gri winners Bonanova, Fraternity & Telesto) and also a ½ sister to Blue Hen mare the wonderful Eight Carat (dam of Gr1 winners Octagonal, Diamond Lover, Kaapstad, Marquise, Mouawad).
Congratulations to all owners in Zaszou and a big thankyou to Phil Stokes and his Teams, Robbie Hewetson & Muskoka Farm and also to Ciaron Maher and his Team for the great effort to get Zaszou fit and ready to go in Brisbane.