Champion jockey James McDonald labeled trainer Chris Waller “a genius” and believes Zougotcha has proven herself a historically elite mare in carrying top weight to a courageous victory in the AU$1 million (US$656,300, AU$1=US$0.66) Coolmore Classic (G1) going 1,500 meters (7 1/2 furlongs) at Rosehill March 16.
In notching her second top-tier win after Randwick’s Flight Stakes (G1) in 2022, along with her four group 2s, 4-year-old Zougotcha drew within two black-type victories of Widden flagbearer Zoustar ‘s all-time most successful stakes winner Sunlight, who claimed eight.
Sent off the $3.30 favorite in the field of 17 fillies and mares, Zougotcha settled fifth on the fence from barrier 2, and after being pushed into the clear at the 300-meter mark, took the lead at the 150 meters and held off the fast-finishing Semana to win by a neck. Three-year-old filly Kimochi was a nose further back in third place.
Got ‘em!
Zougotcha wins in a thrilling finish to the G1 Coolmore Classic at Rosehill – and that’s 90 G1 wins @mcacajamez! @aus_turf_club @cwallerracing pic.twitter.com/OXXDlDZpNW
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 16, 2024
Celebrating his 90th top-level victory, McDonald praised Zougotcha for carrying 57 kilograms to her seventh career win at start 14, and said she deserved to be held in the highest regard.
Sign up for BloodHorse Daily
“That was a good horse’s weight. We’re talking like Sunlines and those types of horses that have carried, obviously, a little bit more than her, but it’s still a proper horse’s weight,” McDonald said.
“And she had to lug it out a fair way on testing ground (good to soft). I couldn’t be more proud of her. She had to dig deep. At the furlong I didn’t think she could win. I felt I was near empty and credit to her, she pinned her ears back and had a great crack. She’s just a top-class mare that’s trained to the minute.”
Zougotcha’s trainer Chris Waller and rider James McDonald
The result will heighten the focus on Zougotcha’s half brother by Written Tycoon , who’ll be offered by Widden Stud as Lot 24 at the Inglis Australian Easter Sale, which begins its two-day run in Sydney April 7.
Bred by Widden and Robert Anderston, Zougotcha was an AU$500,000 (US$383,224) purchase from the stud’s draft at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale of 2021 for Waller and Mulcaster Bloodstock. She is the fifth foal and best progeny of the stakes-placed winner Fast Talker, by Fastnet Rock .
Raced by a group headed by long-term Waller client Noel Greenhalgh, the mare took her earnings past AU$1.7 million, while giving her broodmare value a massive boost with the victory in one of Australia’s most important races for fillies and mares.
Zougotcha is one of 49 individual stakes winners worldwide for Widden’s headline act, Zoustar, who shuttled to Tweenhills Farm & Stud in each of the past five seasons. The stallion sat out his trip to England in 2024, but is expected to return to the Northern Hemisphere in 2025.
Leave feedback about this