News

Zoutori wins Newmarket as Easter grads shine

6th Mar 2021

Zoutori won a deserved G1 in the Newmarket Handicap as the Easter Yearling Sale again showed why it’s globally considered the best auction in the southern hemisphere, producing four Stakes winners on a hallmark day for Inglis graduates.

Easter grads Zoutori ($160,000 yearling purchase), Missybeel ($210,000), So Si Bon ($250,000) and Wild Ruler ($525,000) all secured Stakes wins today, further highlighting Easter as the sale to buy at if you want success – at all levels of the market.

Zoutori becomes the 57th individual G1 winner offered through an Inglis sale since 2018, almost 50% more than the nearest competitor.

It’s a telling statistic, less than a month out from the flagship Easter Yearling Sale at Riverside on April 6 and 7.

Zoutori (pictured) sold to trainers Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra for $160,000 at the 2017 Easter Sale, where he was offered by Amarina Farm.

He was bred by Frank Meduri and has now won over $1.7m in prizemoney.

Meduri has bred the likes of Haradasun and Elvstroem through his association with blue hen mare Circles of Gold – who he part-owned - as well as Highland Reel and others in partnership with Coolmore.

“It’s been a while between drinks and I’m a little overcome to be honest,’’ Meduri said.

“It’s a bit of mixed emotions, we lost the mare Atotori in a truck accident a few months ago so it’s a day of happiness yet tinged with sadness as well.

“I remember him as a foal Zoutori, he was always a nice enough type and I was so happy to see him go Matty (Ellerton) and for him to now be a Group 1 winner, it’s great to see.’’

Earlier at Randwick, untapped Peter and Paul Snowden-trained colt Wild Ruler earned another chance to secure an invaluable G1 win in The Galaxy in a fortnight following an effortless victory in today’s Listed Fireball Stakes.

The 3YO colt from Easter – China Horse Club, Newgate Farm and WinStar Farm bought him for $525,000 from his breeder Kia Ora Stud – is already G1 placed having finished 3rd in last year’s Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington on Derby Day.

But it’s an elusive G1 his powerful connections are after and they won’t get a better chance than The Galaxy in a fortnight, which will come at just Wild Ruler’s 9th career start – he has already won four from eight for $800,000 prizemoney.

And Missybeel scored a second Stakes success when victorious in the G3 Aspiration Quality at Randwick.

Her trainer Bjorn Baker teamed up with Blandford Bloodstock to secure her for $210,000 at Easter in 2016, where she was offered by Waikato Stud, who also bred her.

Missybeel has now won almost $450,000 in prizemoney.

The Stakes success for Inglis graduates continued at Flemington, led by the outstanding Ready2Race graduate Lightsaber (Zoustar) who continued his surge through the 2YO ranks with another dominant front-running win in the G2 Sires’ Produce Stakes.

It’s a third consecutive win for the Peter Moody-trained Lightsaber, whose only defeat to date is a narrow second on debut.

Blueblood Thoroughbreds purchased Lightsaber for $100,000 at last year’s Ready2Race Sale at Riverside, where he was offered by Shaun and Tal Nolen’s JCS Thoroughbreds.

They pinhooked the colt, having originally purchased him out of the Aquis draft – who offered him on behalf of his breeder Emirates Park - at the Classic Yearling Sale for $80,000.

“He’s a showy sort of horse and he’s got plenty of ability so let’s hope he keeps winning,’’ Shaun Nolen said.

“That Ready2Race Sale at Inglis last year was really strong, plenty of good buyers and lots of city trainers which really helped and it’s great to see this bloke win three of his first four.

“We’ll have a draft again this year for sure at the Inglis Ready2Race, we’ve already picked up a couple of Merchant Navy’s, a Fastnet Rock, a Vancouver, a Denman and we’re not done yet so we’ll see how many we end up with.’’

The Sires’ has proven itself a true form race in recent seasons – last year Lunar Fox defeated Ole Kirk while other winners in the past decade include Inglis superstars Jameka and All Too Hard.

And next week’s $5m All Star Mile is still in contention for 7YO marvel So Si Bon (So You Think) following his win in today’s Listed March Stakes at Flemington.

The Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes-trained warrior secured a fourth Stakes success at start No.62 today which could earn him a place in next Saturday’s feature at The Valley, for which he is currently on the ‘provisional emergency list’.

The final field for the All Star Mile will be declared Tuesday morning.

So Si Bon has won $1.6m in prizemoney to date – he’s a $250,000 Easter Yearling Sale buy for Robbie Laing from Newgate Farm.

Each vendor that sold today’s Inglis Stakes winners – Newgate Farm, Emirates Park, Waikato Stud, Kia Ora and Amarina – will present drafts at this year’s Easter Yearling Sale, at Riverside on April 6 and 7.

To view the Easter catalogue, CLICK HERE.