Zoustar to Stand at Widden and Woodside

In a major coup for the Victorian breeding industry Woodside Park Stud and Widden Stud will join forces in standing Australia's best 3yo colt Zoustar.

In a deal brokered shortly after Zoustar's dominant Coolmore Stakes victory the son of Northern Meteor will stand season's 1 and 3 at Widden Stud and season's 2 and 4 at Woodside Park Stud.

Zoustar - Lisa Grimm Woodside Park Stud General Manager Murray Tillett is excited by the arrangement.

"This is a wonderful day for Woodside Park Stud and the Victorian Breeding Industry. This historic arrangement with Widden Stud gives our breeders access to the hottest young stallion prospect in Australia," said Tillett

As part of the deal Woodside Park Stud has taken equity in the talented 3yo.

"We have secured a significant stake in the horse and will be involved in his racing and breeding both at Widden Stud and off course when he stands here at Woodside Park," Tillett says Woodside Park Stud is very happy to be forming this unique joint venture with Widden Stud.

"This dual farm deal is relatively uncommon but something we think that can work really well. This gives the best breeders in New South Wales and Victoria the opportunity to breed to Zoustar at their doorstep. We can see this type of deal working and becoming more prevalent.

"We now challenge Victorian breeders to get behind this venture and support this horse. Breeders here have often bemoaned the lack of quality local options, well Zoustar is all quality. Woodside Park Stud will do our utmost to give Zoustar every success at stud and will support him with our best mares."

Zoustar will race on in the autumn with trainer Chris Waller plotting a lucrative campaign that is likely to culminate in the colt running at Royal Ascot.

"We will leave that side of things to Chris but races like the Newmarket and TJ Smith are obviously in the mix and if the horse races like he did in the spring we might be off to Royal Ascot which would just be a dream," said Tillett.

Zoustar has been the most sought after stallion prospect in Australia with every major farm with the exception of Darley aggressively chasing the son of the ill-fated Northern Meteor. Northern Meteor took all before him in his first season at stud securing Champion First Season honours but sadly succumbed to colic earlier this year in tragic circumstances.

In a brief 8 start career to date Zoustar has won 6 of 8 races with feature victories in the Group 1 Golden Rose and Group 1 Coolmore Stakes as well as the Group 2 BRC Sires Produce Stakes. The colt was also an unlucky 2ndin the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes at Eagle Farm.

Zoustar has earned rave reviews with trainer Chris Waller declaring him a "freak" and jockey Jim Cassidy claiming he was the a better 3yo than Redoute's Choice and more brilliant than Pierro.

The $140,000 Magic Millions graduate has amassed more than $1.4 million in prize money to date and apart from his obvious ability is blessed with Hollywood good looks.

"Everyone comments on how beautiful this horse is, he is just an absolute cracker. The horse was personally selected as a yearling and by our Nominations Manager Suman Hedge who also raced him, so we have been following the horse's progress for some time now," Tillet said.

The acquisition of Zoustar is just the latest positive news to come from Woodside Park Stud which is clearly a farm on the move.

"This has been a watershed year for Woodside Park Stud. Our resident stallion Written Tycoon is in the final stages of covering a book of over 150 mares, our sales results have been very encouraging and our pre-training business is going gang busters," Tillet said.

"With our involvement now in Zoustar the company has come full circle. The sky is the limit in the future."

Details of Zoustar's future service fee remain undetermined with this likely to be clarified at the conclusion of his racetrack career.

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