Million-dollar yearling turned Inglis Digital bargain buy Zarastro, a 5-year-old I Am Invincible gelding, again showed the sunny climes of Queensland were to his liking in winning a second Brisbane stakes race in succession—taking the 1,200-meter (about six-furlong) Falvelon Stakes Dec. 23 at Eagle Farm.
The first runner out of group 2 winner Adrift (by Zabeel ), a close relative to triple group 1 hero Maldivian (Zabeel), the Fairway Thoroughbreds-bred Zarastro was sold for AU$1.05 million (US$721,240, AU$1=US$0.68) to Chris Waller and Guy Mulcaster at the Gold Coast in January 2020.
But after nine starts for Waller, which netted two city wins and culminated in a last of 14 at Rosehill in September 2022, the then 4-year-old was moved on from Sydney’s premier stable. Waller’s Brisbane counterpart, Tony Gollan and associates, snapped him up from Inglis Digital a month after that last placing, securing him for $32,500.
And, albeit in lower grade, the move has paid handsomely. Zarastro has had seven runs for Gollan for five city wins and two seconds. A month ago, he took his first stakes victory by bolting home in Doomben’s Recognition Stakes. He claimed the Falvelon by almost two lengths, earning a career-best winner’s share of AU$116,000. For Gollan he has earned AU$399,800 and AU$518,500 in his career.
Little wonder his trainer was delighted yesterday as the 5-year-old again showed a liking for a change of latitude and tactics. Since moving up north he’s also moved up to the front, leading in all seven runs for Gollan. That includes his two black-type successes—and a listed second before those —under young jockey Angela Jones.
“He’s starting to learn more about conserving energy. We were confident if he was put under pressure today he’d be able to absorb it and kick off,” Gollan said. “He’s got amazing natural speed and he’s also got that stamina as well. He’s a very exciting horse.”
Gollan is targeting a bigger payday still in the $1 million Magic Millions Cup (1,400 meters, about seven furlongs) Jan. 13.
“He was dominant over the 1,350 (meters) a few weeks ago. My idea was to bring him back to 1,200 to try to keep some speed in his legs, to give us a chance of being there on Magic Millions day,” said Gollan, who has no fears for the gelding’s first try at 1,400 meters.
Adrift was a $370,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka yearling buy for James Harron in 2013. After a career of just seven starts with Gai Waterhouse for three wins—including the ATC Light Fingers Stakes (G2) at about six furlongs in 2015—she was bought at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale as a broodmare in 2020 by Belmont Bloodstock’s Damon Gabbedy for $700,000, offered carrying a foal by Merchant Navy (Fastnet Rock ).
The resultant colt, bred by John Camilleri’s Fairway Thoroughbreds, was named Helmsman and was retired after one barrier trial. Camilleri then put Adrift to I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) and has retained that filly, now named Seascape, who’s in training with Michael Freedman. Fairway also has her yearling brother.
