miRunners owners gained exclusive access on Everest Day to Melbourne Cup winning trainer, David Hayes and two-time Melbourne Cup winning jockey, Kerrin McEvoy, at Royal Randwick as their thoroughbred, Zoushack, impressed in a strong field on a heavy track in the first race.
Zoushack’s first race
Zoushack was nominated for the 1000-metre, $125,000 Victory Vein Plate after winning his latest barrier trial on a heavy track at Warwick Farm on the 8 October.
After becoming unsettled in the barriers, Zoushack jumped reasonably well and headed forward. Following a squeezing from two outside runners early, he eventually joined a group of seven in the leading line.
As three runners headed wide around the bend, Zoushack remained prominent but struggled to find the rail as he copped a knock at the turn.
Despite the knock, McEvoy managed to get him going again and a promising final 200 metres meant he finished with a strong run to the line and an encouraging fourth place.
Post-race insight from Kerrin McEvoy & David Hayes
After the race McEvoy shared with owners: “We got a bit rough and ready around the corner but to his credit he actually stayed on okay up the straight.
“He’s got nice ability, going to improve for the run and we’ll have some fun with him for sure. He enjoyed [the heavy] ground as well.”
Trainer David Hayes also shared his thoughts post-race: “He’ll get a lot better for the experience.
“When you watch the replay you’ll see he made a lot of mistakes but with that run under his belt, he’ll be good.
“He has a [good] future so we’re going to look after him.
Exclusive behind-the-scenes access
Over fifty of Zoushack’s owners were in attendance at Randwick, with a lucky forty securing VIP Members Area or Mounting Yard access via a ballot earlier in the week.
miRunners owners were able to hear the thoughts of Zoushack’s trainer, David Hayes, prior to the race including his directions to jockey McEvoy.
miRunners trainers on The Everest Day
Randwick hosts the second running of the ‘world’s richest race on turf’ – The Everest ($13million prizemoney). Four runners in the prestigious event will be trained by the miRunners trainers, Kris Lees (3) and David Hayes (1), while miRunners trainers Bjorn Baker and Gai Waterhouse / Adrian Bott have horses running on the day.
Zoushack – colt of Zoustar
Zoushack is the second miRunners horse to race, after Saganaki, and the first at a major race meeting – The $13million Everest. Zoushack’s sire Zoustar has already in 2018 excitingly sired the winner of the Magic Millions two-year-old race with Sunlight.
514 Australians, from as far away as Hobart and Broome, own units in Zoushack. Units in Zoushack cost only $275 plus $15 per month for the first unit, and dropped to $5 for the second unit on, if multiple units were owned.
For those who were among the first to buy a unit in Zoushack back in January, their outlay has been just under $400 so far – an incredibly affordable way to be an owner in a premium thoroughbred competing at The Everest meeting, in his first outing.
Zoushack was named in June this year after a public name nominations followed by owner voting.
Sydney Morning Herald racing journalist Chris Roots also wrote about Zoushack recently.
Roots says, “There is a good deal of optimism from miRunners about the Zoustar two-year-old Zoushack, which is being prepared by the Lindsay Park team.
“The innovative miRunners allows people to get into a horse at a small cost by splitting the ownership into 1000 shares.
Experience affordable premium thoroughbred ownership
miRunners have two thoroughbreds with units currently available you can buy into. These fillies are trained by Bjorn Baker and Tony Gollan.
