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Star stallion arrives home safely after shuttling stint.
Zoustar added to a CV-bolstering season when he produced his first European Group winner last weekend and the team at Widden Stud overnight moved closer to being able to give their star stallion a celebratory pat.
The son of Northern Meteor arrived safely in Australia in the early hours of Wednesday morning and will quarantine before standing another season at the dual-state operation's Hunter Valley base.
"It's good to have him back in Australia and we're looking forward to getting him back at the farm," Widden Stud principal Antony Thompson said.
"He got in at 12.30 last night, they were happy with the way he travelled, and it seems like he's in good shape.
"He's a very laid-back, he's got a super temperament and he's the sort of horse that just takes everything in his stride."
Zoustar will this year stand at a career-high fee of $198,000, a rise of $44,000 on last year's fee.
Zoustar created headlines at this year's Inglis Easter Yearling Sale when his colt out of Solar Charged, who is a sister to his best-performed product to date, Sunlight, became the third highest-priced yearling ever sold in Australia when he sold for $3 million.
Now 11 years old, Zoustar had another prolific season on the track in Australia, with a 152 individual winners to date, including stakes-winning two-year-olds Millane, Brereton and Twin Stars.
Perhaps his most significant winner was Lezoo, a filly from the first crop he produced during his stint at Tweenhills Stud in the UK, who won last weekend's Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes (1207m) at Ascot.
"That win keeps the belief and the momentum going," Thompson said.
"At this stage it doesn't matter what he's done in Australia for the Europeans it's what he does over there, so it was nice to get that big Group 3 winner at Ascot."
Lezoo's Princess Margaret Stakes win followed a half-length second placing in the Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes (1207m) at Newmarket having logged a Listed win at her previous start.
Ralph Beckett is now contemplating a start in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes (1207m) at Newmarket in September with Lezoo, who is out of the Red Clubs mare Roger Sez.
