Te Aroha Double - The Victress Exciting on Debut

Beautifully relaxed filly The Victress (2 f Zousain – Liesele, by Exceed and Excel) did the job nicely with a debut win in the $18,500 Maiden 2YO 1000 metres on 3 January at Te Aroha - and in doing so, became her sire Zousain's first winner from his first crop to race.

Winning her sole trial on 1 August at Te Rapa, beginning smartly to lead and looking good in her action, The Victress paraded in outstanding order and raced accordingly.

Ridden by stable jockey Opie Bosson, who recorded his 95th Group One victory aboard stable-mate Campionessa (Contributer) on Boxing Day, The Victress jumped well to co-lead a competitive pace on the inner, lengthened to a two-length advantage at the 300m and displayed class over the concluding stages to win well.

“She’s goes well and there’s heaps of improvement to come,” Bosson said.

In the race named Lindsay Goudie and Brian Hare Memorial, in honour of two legends, The Victress ran 1000 metres in 58.8 and last 600m 34.4 on footing upgraded to Good4, and justified the microscopic odds ($1.20). 

“It was a lovely ride by Opie, taking bad luck out of the equation, he controlled the speed, and she’ll improve with that,” said co-trainer Mark Walker.

“She’s got a really good constitution and great brain on her.

“We had a bit of a setback with her in the spring, after she’d won the trial, and providing she pulls up well we’ll look at the Wellesley Stakes.”

The $90,000 IRT Wellesley Stakes (Listed, 1000m), contested on Saturday 13 January at Trentham, was recently won in consecutive years by stable-mates Quattro Quinta (Darci Brahma) and Hanalei (Darci Brahma), with the latter finishing second to stable-mate and Champion Two-Year-Old Maven Belle (Burgundy) in the corresponding Maiden 2YO 1000 metres at Te Aroha.

Purchased by David Ellis CNZM for A$250,000, from the draft of Coolmore Stud, at the 2023 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, owned by Te Akau 2023 Magic Fillies’ Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), The Victress was the first runner for young sire Zousain (Zoustar) in New Zealand. 

The Victress was coupled in the syndicate with Captured By Love (Written Tycoon), bought at the same sale by Ellis, who capped her debut win with victory in the Wakefield Challenge Stakes (Gr. 2, 1100m). 

Accepting on behalf of the syndicate, racing manager Reece Trumper said: “It’s great to be back racing at Te Aroha. We love racing horses here and it’s always a good surface.

“We’ve had a lot of luck here in the Te Akau colours, including winning with Group One winner Maven Belle (Burgundy), who won this race on debut, and another good horse called Kabugee (Satono Aladdin) also won this race.

“Dave (Ellis) bought this lovely filly at Magic Millions. He took a gamble buying a filly from the first crop of Zousain, but he knew what he was looking at she’s a wonderful filly.

“A big thanks to the owners, you’ve bought two lovely fillies in the syndicate, and you should be very proud of yourselves. 

“They both look like having the ability to greatly increase their value, and we’ll be putting another Fillies’ Breeding Syndicate together at the upcoming sales (9–16 January) on the Gold Coast and Dave heads to Australia this week for that sale.”

Standing at Widden Stud, Zousain was trained by Chris Waller to win the Moet & Chandon Classic (Gr. 2, 1200m) as a two-year-old and was runner-up three times at Group One level from 1200m – 1600m.

Dam Liesele, by Champion Sire Exceed and Excel (Danehill), won nine races from 1000m–1200m, including the Alinghi Stakes (Listed, 1100m) as a three-year-old at Caulfield, and has now produced four individual winners of 13 races. 

At the time of purchase, Ellis said: “She is a very sensible and no fuss filly, with great natural athleticism and is a terrific mover.

“It’s a rarity to be able to buy fillies either by Exceed and Excel or with him as broodmare sire, and it adds enormous quality and value.

“The new sire Zousain has really stamped his stock and there is plenty of talk about his potential as a sire.”

Post race, Ellis added: “She’s only had one trial and that was back in August, so it's a wonderful training performance by Mark (Walker) and Sam (Bergerson) and they and our team are doing a great job.

“Along with Captured By Love, the other filly in the syndicate, they’ve had three starts for three wins, including a Group Two, and this filly will improve so much for the run.

“To put a syndicate together with two fillies and have them perform so well in the first five months of their two-year-old season, and to win so well, is a big thrill - we’re heading off on Friday to continue our inspections on the sales' grounds at Magic Millions on the Gold Coast – trying to do it all again.

“And our colts’ syndicate of horses we bought there last year, Move To Strike (I Am Invincible) and Unbridled Joy (Snitzel), have had for two seconds and win and they look like they’re going to be very successful too.”

The Victress was strapped by Tayla-Jo Melvin. 

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz