Tag Archive for: Heather Main

Zoulu Chief primed to blaze a trail at Newmarket again

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Zoulu Chief has the chance to land a valuable prize at Newmarket on Saturday when bidding for a hat-trick in the £150,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes.

Heather Main’s youngster has been in destructive form this summer, winning a pair of competitive nursery handicaps in devastating fashion from the front.

The handler was keen to test the strong-travelling front-runner in Group company following the second of his victories at York but that plan was thwarted by wet conditions throughout September.

As a result, the Zoustar colt and regular pilot Gina Mangan now get the opportunity go in search of the £81,165 first prize on the Rowley Mile, with Main keen to get her charge back on track having not been seen for 45 days.

“He’s ready to run again and we’re excited to get him out again,” said Main.

“We’ve had this race in sight for a while since we bought him and I think it will suit him nicely.

“I really wanted to run him in the Mill Reef or the Flying Childers at Doncaster but the ground went against him which was frustrating. Hopefully it will hold out until Saturday for him.”

Zoulu Chief scoring at York
Zoulu Chief scoring at York (Mike Egerton/PA)

Zoulu Chief has made his mark when allowed to bowl along in explosive fashion and Main sees no reason to change proven tactics now.

She added: “It’s how he likes to race so I think it will be the usual.”

Tom Ward’s Woodhay Wonder secured over £50,000 when winning a similar contest on the July course in late August and has been held back by his handler for a tilt at further riches in this event.

The daughter of Tamayuz was a respectable third in the Group Two Duchess of Cambridge Stakes before that and her touch of class could come to the fore once again.

“She’s a nice filly and I think she has come on a bit from her last win at Newmarket,” said Ward.

“She’s fresh and well and I have kept her fresh for this race having got some black type with her earlier in the year.

“She’s got plenty of size and scope about her so hopefully she will be a nice filly next season as well, but we’ll have this last run and then put her away. She’s a nice type and I hope she will run a nice race.

“She’s already picked up one of these races and hopefully will run well and go close again on Saturday.”

Amy Murphy’s Dubai Hills (fourth), Richard Hannon’s Commander Crouch (fifth) and Karl Burke’s Cuban Slide (seventh) all finished behind Woodhay Wonder in August, as did James Ferguson’s Drama who finished 11th.

However, the latter is backed to improve on that effort this time by his handler.

Ferguson said: “Things didn’t go to plan for Drama last time at Newmarket.

“I still have plenty of confidence in the horse. His work has been impressive, and you cannot shy away from a challenge with this sort of prize money on offer.”



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Main harbouring Group-race hopes for Zoulu Chief

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Zoulu Chief will be given the chance to repeat his explosive front-running exploits in either the Flying Childers or the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes as Heather Main targets a step up in grade for her in-form youngster.

A shock 150-1 winner when blazing a trail at Newbury earlier in the season, he has left disappointments in both the Coventry Stakes and at Goodwood in the past by registering back-to-back nursery victories in devasting fashion recently, scoring in both the Racing League at Windsor and then a competitive event during York’s Ebor meeting.

Zoulu Chief will now be tried in Group company as he seeks to extend his winning run and although heading to Newbury on September 23 would see the Zoustar colt continue to ply his trade over the six furlongs he has made his name, Main is also considering a drop back to five furlongs at Doncaster on September 15 for the Carlsberg-sponsored Group Two.

“He’s an exciting horse,” said Main.

“We found out at Goodwood he doesn’t like soft ground and that was fact finding. At Ascot he was good enough to be in the race but things just didn’t go our way, so we have drawn a line through that. But we have never lost faith in him.

“We were thinking of the Mill Reef, but I’m slightly worried the ground might be gone by then.

“We are also thinking of the Flying Childers as well. It would be a drop back to five furlongs, but he is showing he has tons of pace and I don’t think it would be a bad thing to do.

“He deserves to be in a Group race, definitely.”

Zoulu Chief has been easy to spot when making all in each of his three victories so far and Main sees no reason to change successful front-running tactics aboard the thriving juvenile.

“He just loves doing it and he has such a strong natural pace it seems a shame to interfere with it,” she added. “That just seems to be the way he loves to race.

“Obviously if we stepped him up in trip we might have to think of different tactics, but it seems to be working at his current trip.

“He’s got this special stride where he really gets down and grabs the ground. It’s quite nice to watch.”



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Heather Main secures services of James McDonald for Zoulu Chief

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Heather Main has booked Australian champion jockey James McDonald for Coventry Stakes hope Zoulu Chief at Royal Ascot.

McDonald is no stranger to success at the Royal meeting and partnered three winners at the fixture 12 months ago.

Aside from his two Australian mounts, Coolangatta in the King’s Stand Stakes and Artorius in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, he will team up with George Boughey and Charlie Hills, and hopes to have about 10 rides over the five days.

Main is thrilled he has agreed to partner Zoulu Chief, who sprang a 150-1 surprise on his second start in a six-furlong maiden at Newbury for the Kingston Lisle handler.

“We are delighted that we have booked James McDonald on Zoulu Chief in the Coventry,” confirmed the American-born handler at Newbury on Thursday.

“It is a tough race, but he is very much entitled to be there. He has been training nicely since winning here and is on really good terms with himself. We are very happy with him and looking forward to him out-running his odds again. What do those bookmakers know anyway?” she laughed.

“The owner is in Singapore, and has horses in Australia as well, so he decided he’ll put him up. We’re delighted to have him, obviously.”

Main is taking a small but select team to the meeting, with stayer Mostly Sunny, who finished runner-up in a two-mile Goodwood handicap, potentially looking well handicapped if he gets into the Ascot Stakes.

Main added: “Mostly Sunny is entered in the Ascot Stakes. I’m hoping he will get in, but if he does, he’ll run well, and he’ll have a low weight.”

Celtic Empress will bid to get more luck than she did in last year’s Kensington Palace, when she finished a close-up sixth to Rising Star, having had her path blocked when challenging.

“Celtic Empress is in the Kensington Palace. She ran really well in it last year,” Main said.

“She finished sixth, but just couldn’t get a run in time. Because she is a hold-up horse, she gets blocked a lot, but hopefully one of these will fall her way soon.”



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Zoulu Chief takes charge with 150-1 surprise at Newbury

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Heather Main’s Zoulu Chief could be set for bigger and better things having blitzed his rivals at Newbury to land a huge upset at 150-1.

Sent off the outsider of the field for the Starlight Charity Remembers Christopher Hanbury Maiden Stakes having beaten only one rival home on his debut, the Zoustar colt showed significant improvement to make every yard in the hands of Marco Ghiani – who enjoyed a double when partnering Darryll Holland’s Greysful Storm (25-1) to victory in the Bernard Sunley Handicap.

It was the third time Main has saddled a winner priced at 100-1 or more, and the Kingston Lisle handler is now considering a tilt at Royal Ascot with her precocious youngster following his four-and-three-quarter-length triumph.

She said: “We are absolutely delighted. The ground was a bit slow for him at Salisbury, but it was his first run and he jumped a bit slowly and he was still learning. He must be quite intelligent though as the penny has dropped quickly.

“He’s entered in the big sales race at Newmarket in October because we bought him at Tattersalls, but if everything goes tickety-boo we might aim him at Royal Ascot. The Coventry or something like that. I think it will suit, I hope so.

“He liked the ground today and he might even like it faster than that. It just depends what the ground is really. He was running on at the end, wasn’t he.”

Naqeeb, half-brother to the mighty Baaeed, had to settle for minor money once again as Ralph Beckett’s Nothing To Sea (7-1) struck under an enterprising ride from Hector Crouch in the Coolmore Stud EBF Maiden Stakes.

Nothing To Sea ridden by Hector Crouch (right) on their way to winning the Coolmore Stud EBF Maiden Stakes
Nothing To Sea ridden by Hector Crouch (right) on their way to winning the Coolmore Stud EBF Maiden Stakes (David Davies/PA)

The son of Sea The Moon made all for a two-and-a-quarter-length victory with Naqeeb flying home late to claim second ahead of the 8-11 favourite Tony Montana.

Roger Varian saw heavy favourites turned over in both divisions of the Earl & The Pharaoh Novice Stakes with James Ferguson’s Good Karma (5-1) showing real promise to win the first division in good style.

The son of Dark Angel – who is owned by Michael Buckley and runs in the colours most associated recently with hurdling superstar Constitution Hill – could now be set for a step up to a mile with the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot a possibility.

“He’s a horse we have always thought a lot of and is owned by Michael Buckley who is a very good friend of ours so I’m really happy to get a good winner for him in his colours” said Ferguson.

Good Karma ridden by Daniel Muscutt (right) wins the Earl & The Pharaoh Novice Stakes at Newbury
Good Karma ridden by Daniel Muscutt (right) wins the Earl & The Pharaoh Novice Stakes at Newbury (David Davies/PA)

“He will probably stay further and I think he will stay a mile no problem. Depending on what mark he gets he could easily be a Britannia horse.

“That has sort of been pencilled in after he won at Wolverhampton and it looks like the step up to a mile won’t be a problem. He has developed very well over the winter – we’ve had to be a bit patient with him but he’s told us when he was ready and thank god we listened to him.

“I think they think a lot of the Roger Varian horse (Resolute Man) so I think the form behind him is pretty good and his experience came to the fore. He’s not the easiest horse to ride and I think Danny (Muscutt) gave him a brilliant ride.”

In the second division there was a small shock as Paul and Oliver Cole’s 16-1 chance Thunder Ball dropped back to novice company with aplomb to win by four-lengths and shed his maiden tag at the 10th attempt.

Thunder Ball ridden by Mohammed Tabti on their way to winning the Earl & The Pharaoh Novice Stakes at Newbury
Thunder Ball ridden by Mohammed Tabti on their way to winning the Earl & The Pharaoh Novice Stakes at Newbury (David Davies/PA)

Earlier on the card, David Evans’ Mabre (12-1) landed the Starlight Apprentice Handicap in the hands of Olivia Tubb, while Harry Eustace’s Mustazeed (11-4 favourite) made it back-to-back course and distance victories in the Unibet Handicap.

“He had to be tough today whereas he went through it much smoother the time before,” said Eustace.

“I did have a concern about the ground today, he handled it fine. It was really pleasing to see him put his head down and fight for it today and it is very rewarding for the owners. They had quite a long time with not much fun with him last year and it is paying off this year.”

In a thrilling finish to the concluding BetVictor Handicap, William Stone’s Dashing Panther denied Warhole back-to-back victories, winning by a nose at odds of 33-1 in the hands of Saffie Osborne.



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