Zou’s sensational campaign rolls on | Just horse racing

Zou Sensation added another victory to what has been a 2025 when he proved too strong for his rivals in Wednesday’s 1400m Kensington Stakes at Flemington.

The Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin-trained on-pacer outlasted Steparty to claim the $175,000 Listed event on the 11th run of a campaign that started all the way back on May 10.

The preparation included five wins, two at listed level, a second-place finish in Group 2 and top-four finishes in both the $1 million The Meteorite and The Supernova.

Wednesday’s $105,000 winner’s purse took his career earnings above $1 million and Troy Corstens wasn’t shocked to see him get up and hasn’t ruled out continuing with the campaign when Zou Sensation is ready.

“I was talking to Will (Larkin) this morning and he said, ‘I think I’m going to bet today’ and he said, ‘Do you think he’s gone (training)?’

“I said, ‘mate, he’s as good as he’s ever been.’ But it’s always difficult when you get to the end of the preparation and he’s been sidelined for a year.

“He’s just an iron horse. Someone just said to me, ‘Are you going to tip him now’ and I said no. There’s no way I’m tipping him, he’s doing so well, why would you tip him?”

The son of Zoustar proved he’s still thirsty for the race by the way he dug deep when challenged by Steparty ($6.50) late in Wednesday’s race.

The $4 second favorite scored with a head of that Horsham gelding with $2.50 bookmakers favorite Persian Spirit two lengths behind in third.

Jamie Melham, who returned to the saddle aboard Zou Sensation for the first time since early spring, said the race went perfectly and the once wayward gelding’s performance was a sign of his development as a racehorse.

“Today everything was just easy. He was an absolute dream to drive and he was very relaxed,” said Melham.

“That’s how we thought it would turn out, the map, and it worked perfectly.”

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