Three-year-olds set for Group One rematch

Wednesday 12 March 2014, 3:37pm

Zoustar is the benchmark for three-year-old Australian sprinters but he could have a challenger in Canterbury Stakes rival Not Listenin'tome.

The pair's only clash so far in the Coolmore Stud Stakes resulted in a win for Zoustar over Not Listenin'tome.

They will meet again, this time at weight-for-age, in Saturday's Group One Canterbury Stakes at Randwick with Zoustar fresh from a spell and Not Listenin'tome having the benefit of a first-up win in Melbourne.

Not Listenin'tome was in his first racing campaign, having his maiden Group One test when runner-up in the Coolmore Stud Stakes.

Now more mature and experienced, he shapes as Zoustar's biggest danger on Saturday, a consensus reflected in early betting as they dominate the market.

Co-trainer Michael Hawkes says the chances of Not Listenin'tome turning the tables on Zoustar hinge on how much improvement the Chris Waller-trained colt has made.

"Zoustar is already at that (Group One) level," Hawkes said.

"Our bloke has improved. Whether Zoustar has improved again, that's the key."

Zoustar will be one of four runners for Waller along with comeback galloper My Kingdom Of Fife, Doncaster Mile winner Sacred Falls and outstanding mare Red Tracer.

Waller confirmed his quartet would all run with Red Tracer a chance to back-up a week later in the Coolmore Classic, depending on her handicap in the Group One fillies and mares race.

Guy Walter also has multiple runners in Appearance, Toydini and Streama.

Given the quality and depth of opposition, Waller can't single out a horse he is worried about the most against Zoustar.

"I fear every horse in a Group One race because obviously their trainers think they're going well enough to run," Waller said.

Victorian Speediness and front-runner Rain Affair round out the field.

Rain Affair needs to rediscover his best form and trainer Joe Pride believes he gets his chance from the inside gate.

"In this race the barrier probably doesn't matter as much. There's not a lot of speed to push him to the lead, he should get it comfortably," Pride said.

Zoustar has opened a $2.70 favourite ahead of Not Listenin'tome at $3.80 with Red Tracer next at $4.80.

– AAP

Latest News

Prime Thoroughbreds - We have a Host of Leaders in our Team

Tuesday, 29 June 2021

Prime Thor­ough­bred’s cur­rent rac­ing team is putt­ing to­gether quite a re­cord. We have 22 hors­es that have raced in our team at pre­sent. Six­teen of th­ese are win­n­ers in­clud­ing the Stakes win­n­ing trio Ru­bisa­ki, Fituese and Xtreme­time with Miss Di­vine Em and Miss In Charge run­n­ing 4th in Stakes races. This sees a stakes win­n­er to win­n­er ra­tio of 18.75% with a stake’s per­formed to win­n­er ra­tio of 31.25%. Th­ese are ex­cep­tio­n­al fig­ures.   More »

Freedmans land maiden Group One win

Saturday, 27 February 2021

Un­der-rat­ed fil­ly For­bid­den Love has emerged as an au­tumn car­ni­val smokey with a bril­liant per­for­mance to win the Sur­round Stakes at Rand­wick.  More »

Capriccio completes Damian Lane treble

Saturday, 27 February 2021

In a big day for coun­try-trained hors­es, War­r­nam­bool fil­ly Capric­cio has tak­en out the In­glis Dash for Daniel Bow­man.  More »

More news headlines »