15 May 2012
The Peter Moody-trained Lights of Heaven (Zabeel ex I’m in Heaven, by Volksraad) is looking to secure a second Group One victory when she lines up Saturday’s A$500,000 Kirks Doomben Cup in Brisbane.
The 4YO mare has been lightly raced, with only 11 starts to date including an unbeaten sequence of four wins as a three-year-old, culminating in success in the Group One SAJC Schweppes Oaks (2000m) in March 2011.
Lights of Heaven is one of two high profile females this season by Zabeel from a Volksraad mare. The other is the hugely-talented Zurella (ex Doneze Girl), a Group Two and Group Three winner for trainer Shaune Ritchie this season and the closest of second’s in (Miss) Artistic’s New Zealand Oaks-Gr.1.
Another black type winner by Zabeel from a Volksraad mare is Zarzuela (ex Star Satire), an excellent 3YO of her time winning the ARC Great Northern Guineas-Gr.2, ARC Championship Stakes-Gr.2 and Waikato Guineas-Gr.3 at that age. She was also placed third in the NZ Oaks-Gr.1 and fourth in the NZ Derby-Gr.1.
For the record (information courtesy of Arion Pedigrees), to date there have been 15 runners by Zabeel from Volksraad mares. Eleven have been winners, with 4 of them stakes-performed.