Staff Writer |
Renowned trainer Tony Gollan from Queensland has enlisted the services of the greatest jockey of all time, Damien Oliver, to ride the lightning-fast Zoustyle in an attempt to challenge Giga Kick and the impressive Imperatriz in a thrilling Msprint at The Valley on Saturday.
Oliver, who was recently revealed by Racenet to be retiring, will join forces with Zoustyle in a mission for redemption in the Gr.2 McEwen Stakes. Zoustyle, known for his exceptional speed, was unfortunate not to emerge victorious in last year's McEwen Stakes, as a slow start saw him playing catch-up, only to be overtaken in the final moments by fellow Queenslander Rothfire.
Notably, Coolangatta finished third in that race, and she went on to achieve great success. She triumphed in the prestigious Gr.1 Moir Stakes during the spring season and continued her winning streak by clinching the Gr.1 Black Caviar Lightning in the Melbourne autumn.
With the GOAT, Damien Oliver, in the saddle, Zoustyle aims to make a triumphant comeback and show his true potential in what promises to be an exhilarating race at The Valley.
"Damien Oliver rode Zoustyle last spring and he did a really good job on him, so we are happy to have him back on," Gollan said.
"In this race last year the horse had to do a fair bit of work and only got run down by Rothfire late.
"He has been getting away beautifully in his trials and jumpouts this time and I've had a really faultless preparation with him.
"Giga Kick obviously adds an interesting dimension to this race.
"But 1000m around The Valley is my horse's go – other horses in this race might be better for races that are longer and later in their preparations.
"It's a good race, but you don't expect to go into any of these sort of weight-for-age races thinking they are going to be weak."