Zoustar Stakes winners #50 and #51

Qatar Racing’s colours were carried to Stakes success on Saturday when 4yo Zoustar mare Climbing Star routed her rivals in the Listed Matrice Stakes over 1200m at Morphettville. That victory came on the same day Zoustar 2yo Growing Empire had won a Listed race on second start.

Climbing Star had been Group-placed twice previously and dominated her 12 rivals in the Matrice in the hands of Lachlan Neindorf for trainer Phillip Stokes.

Given Climbing Star was returning from a break, she was extremely impressive in how she beat Party Princess by 2¾ lengths. Stokes said: “We’ve always had a big opinion of her, although her form probably doesn’t read like that. We set her for this race and then to the Robert Sangster (G1) in three weeks. We’ve always known she had a heap of ability and she’s just gotten better with age.”

Climbing Star was bred by Qatar Bloodstock out of mare Bryony, whose three other winners include the dual Gr.3 winner Sansom. After being purchased for A$600,000 from the Widden Stud draft for Phillip Stokes Racing Pty Ltd / Rick Connolly Bloodstock, Climbing Star races for a syndicate that includes Qatar Bloodstock.

Climbing Star is bred of the Zoustar – Fastnet Rock cross that has also produced Gr.1 Schweppes Thousand Guineas winner Joliestar and dual Gr.1 winner (inc. the recent Coolmore Classic) Zougotcha.

Climbing Star’s success took Zoustar’s number of Stakes winners for 51, and number 50 had come earlier in the day when 2yo Growing Empire had won the Listed Xtreme Freight Valley Pearl Stakes for owner Yu Long Investments and trainer Ciaron Maher.

Growing Empire had been second on debut to a filly owned by the same owner and by Zoustar's son Zousain.