Cover image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Expensive Zoustar filly delivers on debut
It might only be a midweek win at Rosehill for the high-priced Plaintiff (Zoustar) on Wednesday, but the similarly expensive Sunshine In Paris (Invader) started her career by winning a Canberra maiden before she bore the Fairway Thoroughbreds colours to two of her three Group 1 victories.
Video: Watch race replay of Plaintiff, video courtesy of Racing NSW
It was a similar stylish debut for Plaintiff and her trainer Peter Snowden over Rosehill’s 1200 metres, with the filly sitting a pair back from the lead until straightening and displaying a superb turn of foot underneath Tommy Berry to win by just shy of a length and a quarter over Jaegers (Bivouac).
“I think she's better ridden quiet, but the track's been playing dynamite up on speed, and she was too short a price to be taking risks, so we decided to take bad luck out and put her in a good spot,” Snowden said. “Tommy rode her well.”
No goals have been set in stone for the filly - who is the 64th winner so far this season for her Widden-based champion sire - just yet, but Snowden was of the belief that she was far from the finished product.
Plaintiff | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
“She’s had a few injuries and setbacks so it’s all about educating her now and we’ll see how far we go this time. It will probably depend on how well she does in the yard, but she's got so much upside to her.
“She's very, very raw. She's a beautiful type, very well bred, and it’s good to have a nice horse for John Camilleri.”
“She's (Plaintiff) a beautiful type, very well bred, and it’s good to have a nice horse for John Camilleri.” - Peter Snowden
While the Camilleris spent $3.9 million on Sunshine In Paris as a 3-year-old, James Harron Bloodstock signed the docket on their behalf for $2.2 million at last year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, where she was offered by Widden Stud. She was the highest-priced Zoustar yearling sold in 2024, and the third highest-priced yearling ever for the sire.
The price tag is understandable when she is the third foal, and second winner, from G1 Tattersalls Tiara victress Prompt Response (Beneteau), a full sister to G3 Maribyrnong Plate winner Prompt Return. The pair are two of seven stakes winners from Beneteau, who passed with only two crops of foals to carry his legacy.
Peter Snowden | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The comparison to Sunshine In Paris stretches a little deeper; the triple top flight winner debuted almost to the day three years ago, and was then sent north to contest the Listed Mode Plate at Doomben, where she was a highly credible third, before bouncing back at the end of her spring with a win at benchmark level at Randwick. Two starts later, she was a Group 1 winner in the G1 Surround Stakes. Perhaps a similar trajectory awaits for Plaintiff?
“I think we will see a lot of improvement from her and next prep we will see her at her best,” added Berry. The autumn awaits.
“I think we will see a lot of improvement from her (Plaintiff) and next prep we will see her at her best.” - Tommy Berry
Prompt Response has left a similar shortened legacy to her sire. The $1.6 million earner slipped both seasons after producing Plaintiff and died earlier this year, leaving behind a very valuable filly, both on the track and in the breeding barn.
Interstate double for Godolphin gallopers
A pair of Godolphin-owned 3-year-olds kicked off metropolitan meetings at Rosehill Gardens and Caulfield Heath on Wednesday in style; Sketch (Brazen Beau) justified her pre-race favouritism with victory for Anthony and Sam Freedman in Victoria, and in Sydney, the equally well fancied Casserousse (Exceed And Excel) took home the opener for Joseph Pride.
Placed in her two starts since transferring to the Freedman father and son duo at the beginning of the season, Sketch stepped up to city level and, after patiently waiting midfield for the home turn, breezed home to victory by three quarters of a length in the 1600-metre event. The filly continues the fine form from her last start at Ballarat, where she finished third by a half length over 1400 metres behind subsequent G1 VRC Oaks victress Strictly Business (Grunt {NZ}).
Sketch may not have been as quick off of the mark as her half-brother, G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Daumier, but jockey Craig Williams was pleased with the effort and could see her embellishing the page further in time.
“The bigger picture is breeding, so that's a great way to win her maiden by having a city win for her as well,” he said.
“The bigger picture is breeding, so that's a great way to win her (Sketch) maiden by having a city win for her as well.” - Craig Williams
“She had the nice run, she jumped out of the gates and gave me some options early and she was solid through the line. She had no problem today settling out to the mile, it was a slowly run race and she picked up when I needed her to."
It’s a good page to begin with; aside from the presence of Daumier, whose first yearlings hit the sales rings in 2026, Sketch’s second dam is G2 Surround Stakes winner Parables (Lonhro), and via ancestress Mythos (Imperial Prince {Ire}), she is closely related to Group 1 winners On The Bubbles (Brazen Beau) and Politeness (Street Sense {USA}).
Dam Illustrate (Street Cry {Ire}) travelled north to visit Too Darn Hot (GB) last season and delivered a filly this spring.
At Rosehill, Casserousse repeated the effort that saw her a first-up winner at Hawkesbury a fortnight before; the filly was quick out of the gates and sent straight to the front by Zac Lloyd, and never looked in much trouble. Only Sanctified (NZ) (Super Seth) was able to close the gap on her over the final furlong, crossing the line in second by a tick over the same margin as the Victorian race.
From another well-developed Godolphin family, Casserousse is the third foal and first winner out of Chamrousse (Ire) (Raven’s Pass {USA}), a half-sister to G1 Middle Park Stakes-winning stallion Amadeus Wolf (GB) and Group 3-winning Rouleau (GB) (Exceed And Excel). Pride has also been assigned her as of yet untrialled 2-year-old colt Eterlou (Microphone) and she produced a Pinatubo (Ire) colt last spring. She was served by Cylinder in October.
Espana another fruitful filly for Spanish Pipedream
Three-year-old Capitalist filly Espana got her first win on the board at Caulfield Heath on Wednesday, making her the fourth winner from four foals to race for dual Listed winner Spanish Pipedream (USA) (Scat Daddy {USA}). All four so far have been fillies, with Spanish Pipedream’s first foal Latizia (Capitalist) being the best performed to date, running third in the G3 Blue Diamond Preview (fillies) after a debut metropolitan victory in the January of her juvenile season.
Espana has taken slightly longer to establish herself for trainer Lloyd Kennewell and owner-breeders Newgate and SF Bloodstock (one third of which is Newgate Farm's Henry Field), but the promise was there all along with two placings from two starts in Saturday company.
She posts her first win at start number five, where she stalked the speed into the home straight and darted away to a one and a quarter-length win over Gram (Exceed And Excel).
“It’s great to have the support from Newgate Farm, they send me a few horses every year and she’s a nice filly,” said Kennewell. “She’s always shown nice ability, but probably hasn’t quite put it together the last couple of starts.
“We went with a gear change today with the visors, jumped, squeezed, and travelled, and (jockey) Logan (Bates) put them to bed. It was a pretty comfortable watch.”
“We went with a gear change today with the visors ... and (jockey) Logan (Bates) put them to bed. It was a pretty comfortable watch.” - Lloyd Kennewell
Like Sketch, Espana has boxed around good company for a while; three starts ago, she was beaten three and a half lengths by subsequent G3 Red Roses Stakes winner Point Barrow (Blue Point {Ire}). She brings up winner number 64 for the season for Capitalist, who sits second in the general sires’ table by winners.
Kennewell's familiarity with Capitalist's progeny stood him in good stead for whatever the filly might throw at him.
Lloyd Kennewell | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He’s obviously a great stallion, but some of them can be a bit quirky," he said. "She’s actually one of the better ones, and she’s gotten better the deeper she has gotten into the preparation.
“I had her entered for the Red Roses on Thursday and she didn’t gain a start, it was probably good that we could come here and get a valuable city win. She’s a very well bred filly, and great for Henry, Tom (Ryan), and Gavin (Murphy), they support us well.”
“I had her (Espana) entered for the Red Roses on Thursday and she didn’t gain a start, it was probably good that we could come here and get a valuable city win.” - Lloyd Kennewell
Spanish Pipedream passed away last season, as did her daughter Latizia, which means her remaining daughters are increasingly valuable assets in the breeding barn. The wider pedigree reflects mare power as well, with Spanish Pipedream being a half-sister to the dam of multiple Graded winner Get Smokin (USA) (Get Stormy {USA}).
She is also out of a half-sister to the dam of Champion Turf Female Dayatthespa (USA) (City Zip {USA}), whose Grade 2-winning daughter Spaliday (USA) (More Than Ready {USA}) is Japan-bound after selling for US$750,000 (AU$1.17 million) to Hidetoshi Yamamoto at the recent Fasig-Tipton November Sale.
Espana’s half-sister Costa Smeralda (Exceed And Excel) was retained to race by her breeders and delivered her first foal this season, a filly by G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Ozzmosis.
