Zardozi trumphs in Phar Lap Stakes

Zardozi proved she was a star on the rise for Kingman with a stunning victory in Saturday’s Gr.2 Phar Lap Stakes at Rosehill.

Taken from the ANZ Bloodstock News, 17th March 2024:

Zardozi proved she was a star on the rise and served notice of another imminent Group 1 for her star British-based sire, Kingman at Rosehill.

She also whetted appetites for a likely clash with star New Zealand filly Orchestral in the Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes back at Rosehill on 30th March. The Godolphin homebred was a star of the Flemington spring, taking the Gr.2 Edward Manifold Stakes, running a narrow second in the Gr.2 Wakeful Stakes, before romping home with the Gr.1 VRC as favourite.

After a first-up 11th in Randwick’s Gr.1 Surround Stakes on 2nd March, Saturday’s event was also expected to be less than an ideal distance en route to longer targets, hence she was sent out an easing $13 chance. But, ridden by British rider Tom Marquand, Zardozi was allowed to drift back to second last on settling, before unwinding a paralysing burst in the home straight, flying up on the inside of tiring favourite Les Vampires to hit the lead at the 200-metre mark, and powering home to win by 1.9 lengths. Second home was another filly in Makarena, while Kintyre  was the first male home in third.

Kingman has swept all before him in the northern hemisphere, with eight Group 1 winners, and has 72 individual stakes victors among 425 winners from 626 runners in Britain. From southern hemisphere-time matings he has two top-level winners in Australia in Zardozi and Gr.1  J.J. Atkins Stakes hero King Colorado.

Zardozi’s imperious performance yesterday suggested she’d be extremely hard to beat when she strives to bring his third Australian Group 1 win in the Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill on 30th March. At the least, an epic battle looms there with Orchestral, who made it four straight wins in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby on 2nd March.

“She is a class act,” trainer James Cummings said of Zardozi. “You’ve got to be prepared to forgive her for her first-up effort, there was a lot that went against her. And yet she pulled up from the run well, she has trained on sweetly since then so we stuck to our guns."
He continued: “The Phar Lap is a perfect race for her as a stepping stone to the Vinery, and now she gets back to 2000 in a couple of weeks, she is going to look spot-on.”