Zoustar × Mary's France gelding

Zoustar was Champion Sire of Australia in 2024–25 and has sired 11 Group 1 winners. He's also the sire of our own Regal Zeus, trained by John McArdle, who won the Testa Rossa Stakes at Caulfield this spring after the Bendigo Golden Mile, the Kilmore Cup, the Lord Stakes and the John Dillon Stakes. Zoustars tend to get better with time and distance, and John knows how to give them both.

His dam, Mary's France, won over 1600 metres at Chantilly and was second in a Listed race. She's a half-sister to Godspeed, a Group 2 winner at Chantilly in 2025, and to The Last Dance, second in the Group 1 French 1000 Guineas in May 2026. Their dam, Mary's Precedent, was a Listed winner whose six runners have all won. This isn't a family that was good thirty years ago. It's winning Group races right now.

Australian speed on top and French class at a mile underneath: quick enough to sprint at three, and bred to get a mile at four.

He's with John at Mornington now for a short spell and pre-training, then a jump-out. He's nominated for the Inglis Race Series, so possible targets include the Inglis Challenge at two if he's forward enough, and the Inglis Sprint at Flemington over 1200 metres at three. Then, as he steps up towards a mile, the same road Regal Zeus has travelled.