Zoujea earns her chance at stakes level

Dual provincial winner Zoujea gets her chance at a stakes win in the Twilight Glow at Sandown.

After back-to-back provincial wins, lightly raced filly Zoujea gets her first chance to chase a stakes race at Sandown.

The Danny O’Brien-trained Zoujea registered a maiden win at Sale in the first start of her spring campaign then added another victory as a short-priced favourite in a benchmark race at Bendigo on October 30.

She steps up in grade again in Saturday’s Listed Twilight Glow Stakes for three-year-old fillies at Sandown and will also be tried over 1400m for the first time having raced over 1100m in her three career starts.

“She is a nice style of Zoustar filly and she has run very well every time we have run her,” O’Brien said.

“This looks a nice chance to give her a chance in a better race.

“We think the 1400 metres will suit but we’ll find out on Saturday.”

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Zoujea will be ridden by Stephen Baster who finished fourth on the filly when she made her debut at Flemington in a race for two-year-old fillies in June.

Baster will be competing at his final meeting on Saturday before beginning a new career as a real estate agent.

The jockey, who has won 14 Group One races during his 28-year riding career, has three mounts at his final meeting.

He will partner the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained debutante Dubai Star in the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes, while his final ride will be aboard the Logan McGill-trained Gold Fields in the Group Three Sandown Stakes.

Zoujea was at $19 on Friday for the Twilight Glow, with the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Xilong the $2.70 favourite.

Xilong won twice in Adelaide this spring before a close third to Akari in the Listed Desirable Stakes at Flemington last week and Tony McEvoy expects her to be better equipped in her second attempt at 1400m.