Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
The Westbury Stud-owned Zirna bucked a trend during her racing days to net both a domestic Group 1 victory and international victories before a breeding career divided between Coolmore, where she passed away in 2018, and her New Zealand home at Karaka.
Zirna’s last foal is the progressive mare Zing (Zoustar), who won for the fourth time at Rosehill on Saturday for trainer Chris Waller while her granddaughter Divine Diosa (Teofilo {Ire}) scored at Caulfield for Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra.
Zing as a yearling
Another granddaughter of the late Zirna is Snickerdoodledandy (Snitzel), who claimed this season’s Listed Burgess Queen S. for trainer Daniel Morton and posted her first win at Flemington this month since joining Peter Moody’s stable.
Bred by the late Jim Campin at Chequers Stud, Zirna was purchased by trainer Stephen Autridge at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for NZ$40,000 on behalf of former Westbury owner Eric Watson and Mike Tololi.
“Stephen had her first when he was training with Graeme Rogerson and then she came back here when David Walsh took over as private trainer for us and he had a great run with her,” Westbury General manager, Russell Warwick, said.
“She was a wonderful mare and went to Singapore. Zirna had won a Group 1 here and we always planned to send her to Singapore for her 4-year-old year.
“Zirna had won a Group 1 here at and we always planned to send her to Singapore for her 4-year-old year.” – Russell Warwick
“To wander off from New Zealand with a Group 1 win under her belt and go and race in Singapore was very much against the trend at the time, it was a bold move 18 years ago.
“We had the attitude that she had the Group 1 on her page and nobody could take that away from her and she could add some prizemoney to her resume and that would be even better.
“Eric (Watson) bought Mike (Tololi) out of Zirna before she went to Singapore. She left here with NZ$150,000 in the bank and came home with NZ$1.5 million so it was well worth doing that exercise.”
“Eric (Watson) bought Mike (Tololi) out of Zirna before she went to Singapore. She left here with NZ$150,000 in the bank and came home with NZ$1.5 million so it was well worth doing that exercise.” - Russell Warwick
Zirna’s career highlight was her victory in the G1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ S. and was a multiple black-type placegetter.
Singapore stakes haul
She subsequently claimed the Singapore Gold Cup, Raffles Cup and Singapore Derby Trial from Malcolm Thwaites’ stable. Her regular rider was Mark Du Plessis, with whom Warwick also enjoys a close association.
“She also raced in Dubai and ran sixth and fifth in a couple of Listed races after she had won the Gold Cup. She went to Europe to quarantine and then back to Australia where she was mated,” Warwick said.
Zirna has produced seven winners with the best of them being Crafty Irna (Starcraft {NZ}), who won an edition of the G3 Adrian Knox S. for trainer Ron Quinton.
She was sold by Westbury at Karaka for NZ$125,000 and is the dam of Snickerdoodledandy, purchased by the Belmont Bloodstock Agency for $280,000 out of Tyreel Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft.
Snickerdoodledandy wins the VRC Member Ben Edney Trophy at Flemington
Zing final foal
The last of Zirna’s produce is Zing, who was sold on Westbury’s behalf by Newhaven Park at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale to agent Anton Koolman for $120,000.
Koolman has retained an ownership interest in the now 4-year-old and has a further tie to the family as he stood Gleam Machine (USA), dam sire of Zirna, when he formerly operated Gressier Stud at Otaki.
Divine Diosa’s dam La Siroque (NZ), a two-time winner by Zabeel (NZ), was sold by Westbury at the Easter Sale for $450,000 to Hancock Quality Bloodstock and won twice before retiring to stud and has now produced three multiple winners.
Divine Diosa as a yearling
“Divine Diosa was quite impressive and placed right, she looks like she can get some black type too,” Warwick said.
“We haven’t got any daughters of Zirna, basically when we were with Eric everything went through the sale ring.
“It’s heartening that her daughters are doing a good job. Zirna missed a couple of times after Zing and was retired. She was based at Coolmore, who kept her on as a nanny for some of their weanlings.”
