The Queen Rules

Richly deserving of success, Egyptian Queen (4 m Zoustar – Hieroglyphics, by Conatus) proved dominant in the $40,000 Lodge Real Estate Rating 65 1200 metres on Saturday at Te Rapa. 

Placed in both the Listed The O’Leary’s Fillies Stakes and Group 3 Almanzor Trophy last season, as well finishing fourthth in the Group 3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes at Te Rapa, Egyptian Queen has the record befitting a higher winning percentage, but misfortune has often worked against her. 

She received an economical trip and quickened appreciably only to be claimed late for second in the Rating 65 1100 metres on 27 November at Te Aroha, and despite drawing the outside gate (13) on Saturday, she rated a top three chance.

Ridden by Ace Lawson-Carroll (a2), who was also aboard at Te Aroha, Egyptian Queen tracked along three-wide with cover in eighth position, was six lengths back at the 600m point, but travelled up ominously approaching the home turn and sprinted past her rivals to score stylishly by a length and a quarter.

“A tough draw (13), but we got in behind Lovaci and she took me into the race at the right time,” said rider Lawson-Carroll. 

“I didn’t have to do anything until about the 300m and once balanced she accelerated. Once I gave her one behind the saddle she really took off.” 

Now boasting a good amount of strength and maturity in her physique, it was a performance that could springboard into a fruitful campaign. 

“She’d been so consistent and was really deserving of the win today,” said Mark Walker, who trains with Sam Bergerson.

“Even though she was three-wide, she had cover, so it was a nicely judged ride by Ace and he had the horse power to get the job done. 

“She has proven herself in stakes' races and I think she’ll now measure up in Rating 75 company.”

On course, Te Akau racing manager Reece Trumper said: “Her work at home has been very good. She’s not the easiest to deal with and the team at the Uni Barn, run by Heather Stevens, does a really good job with her.

“Horses just need a bit of confidence and she got that today, and now we can look for bigger things for her in the future.”

On Soft5 footing, Egyptian Queen ran 1200 metres in 1:11.6, last 600m in 34.6 (approx.), and paid $3.20 & $1.60 on the NZ TAB tote. 

Owned by the Te Akau She Reigns Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Egyptian Queen was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $220,000, from the draft of Westbury Stud, at the Karaka 2022 Book 1 Sale.

“It was very good ride by young Ace (Lawson-Carroll) and she’s a mare on the cusp of increasing greatly in value if she can win more races and in particular a stakes' race,” Ellis said.

“She was a beautiful filly when we bought her, with the class and scope to train on, and she gave a fair indication of that today.

“Circumstances have often worked against her, such as draws, wet tracks and so forth, but hopefully she can carry on into the summer with things going right her.

“We’ve had terrific success with horses bred by Gerry Harvey at Westbury Stud and that carry the GH brand. They have some real depth in their pedigrees. 

“She’s got a great group of owners, including Gavin and Shane Wealleans, who sponsored the Matamata Cup yesterday, and they also have a share in Hakkinen that won on the day.  It was great to also see Marilyn Thompson on course too, and back in the winners' circle after her terrific success with Imperatriz.”

Egyptian Queen is by Zoustar (Northern Meteor), the leading sire of winners this season in Australia - he is currently third in the Australian General Sires’ List, after finishing fifth last year and seventh in 2021. Zoustar was the Australian Leading First Season Sire in 2017-18, Leading Australian Sire of 3YOs in 2018-19, Champion Sire in Singapore in 2019 and 2020, and continues to affirm himself as one of the best sires in Australasia.

Zoustar has sired nine individual Group One winners of 13 Group One races, among 60 individual stakes' winners of 126 stakes' races.

Zoustar was sold to stud for $14 million in the week leading up to his victory in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington, which provided jockey Jim Cassidy with his 100th Group One winner. Cassidy claimed Zoustar to be “a better three-year-old than Redoute’s Choice and more brilliant than Pierro”.

Egyptian Queen's dam Hieroglyphics won four sprint races in Sydney. Her sire Conatus, by super sire Danehill, was a fast horse and is doing a good job as broodmare sire.  Egyptian Queen carries a Danehill cross through dam line of Zoustar and sire line of the dam.

Egyptian Queen was strapped by Mallesh Saddari. 

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz