An exception to the breeding rule

Making her racing debut in the stables of Northam based owner-breeder Jesse Moore, Zephyra has since made her way Dylan Egerton-Green just three starts ago and has continued her good form, with what could be a big future instore for the beautifully bred youngster.

“The decision to send her to Dylan was due to problems that we were having with her feet, and we thought Dylan would be the best person to try and rectify these leading into the big races,” Moore said.

Speaking to Tim Walker and Digby Beacham recently on The Sports Daily, Part-owner Hayley Moore mentioned: “Zephyra’s certainly gotten better with each run, I think even when we first took her to trials, it was just a handy trial, definitely nothing spectacular. She didn’t win her trial; it was just a real honest performance I guess you could say.

“We never thought we would be getting here!” she said.

She has definitely exceeded all expectations, with exceptional mares often failing to produce good foals, Zephyra appears to be an exception to the rule and the Moore family are very happy with their filly who is proving to be quite versatile and tough in her races.

Known as Dulcie around the stables, the name is quite meaningful for her connections, named after Jesse’s mother who was her son’s number one fan as well as an avid harness racing fan.

By the popular stallion Sweet Lou, Zephyra has now had six starts for four wins and two seconds, taking her total earnings to just over $92,000 plus the lucrative WestBred bonuses.

ZEPHYRA REPLAY

No plans have been made at this stage on where Zephyra will start next up, but it is expected she will be aimed for the $225,000 Group 1 WestBred Classic on the 16th of September at Gloucester Park.

“Dylan hasn’t decided if she will race in the preludes or bypass them at this stage.”

Zephyra’s dam, Tricky Styx NZ, who was purchased by the Moore family for just $5,000, won $460,000 in stakes from her 79 starts, 22 wins and 16 placings, including feature wins in the 2014 2YO Champagne Classic, 2014 2YO Diamond Classic, 2016 Pinjarra Cup, 2016 Narrogin Cup, 2017 Winter Cup, as well as a second placing in the 2015 3YO WA Derby.

Tricky Styx retired in December 2018 after running fourth in the $125,000 Westral Mares Classic and the decision was made to breed from the then seven-year-old mare, but the family encountered some issues getting her in foal.

“She went down to Debra Lewis and we thank Debra for all the work she did in actually getting Zephyra. Tricky has not been easy to get in foal, she did eventually but it was very late in the season as we obviously raced her right up until the Mares Classic,” said Hayley.

“It wasn’t the greatest start to life for Zephyra, she was born towards the end of December and the birth caused quite a lot of internal damage to Tricky, hence why Tricky hasn’t had another foal. Rob at Rangeview Stud was a massive help and he foaled Zephyra down, but when she was born she had a very low white blood cell count so she had to have a blood transfusion. Just being a such late foal, she was behind everyone else.

“We’d never know now, out on the track she’s quite a well put together filly, she doesn’t really look like a two-year-old.”

Tricky proved just that again when trying to get in foal 12 months later, but after plenty of perseverance she is now just three weeks away from having her second foal by the highly anticipated American sire, Captain Crunch.

“At the moment, its Zephyra flying the flag.”

by Ashleigh Paikos, for RWWA