New Zealand’s leading second season sire of 2016/17 has kicked off the new season in fine style with Zacinto leaving a double at yesterday’s Wairarapa JC meeting. The son of Dansili is already the sire of three winners and two placegetters this season from just five starters. The Stacey Dougan trained mare Sioux kicked off the day for Zacinto yesterday, breaking her maiden with a romping six length win over 1400m. Making the win an emotional one for Dougan was the fact the attractive, big mare was bred and is raced by her mother Sue Oomen. Following on from Sioux in the next race on the card was the hugely promising Shadow King, who made it three wins in his last four starts with a commanding two length success in the $25,000 Printcraft R75 1400m. Bred by Inglewood Stud, the gelding was bought by his trainer Kevin Myers from the 2015 NZB Select Sale. A one-time New Zealand Derby prospect for the Myers stable, the four-year-old was instead given time in the autumn to further strengthen, a move which is already proving dividends. The wins of Sioux and Shadow King yesterday come off the back of Lily Grecia’s four length win at Te Aroha at the start of the month. Adding to this have been the encouraging placed efforts of Zawhip and Zenvo. Chasing four wins in a row in during Grand National Week, Zawhip finished a brave second in her Rating 75 event, after missing some work with a foot abscess in the week prior. Zenvo, from Zacinto’s second crop, followed up a sparkling trial win last month with a very encouraging third to the highly touted Inca Warrior at Te Aroha last Sunday. Sioux’s win at Wairarapa yesterday bought up individual winner number 20 for Zacinto from just 35 first crop runners. Remarkably, of those 20 winners Shadow King is the seventh of his progeny to put together back to back wins. Across the Tasman and the signs for the progeny of Zacinto are also bright with his star son Ugo Foscolo preparing for his Cox Plate tilt with two devastating trial wins, the first by a runaway eight lengths, the second by a very restrained length and a half. Last season’s NZ 2000 Guineas winner, now in the stable of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, is scheduled to kick off in Sydney in the G2 Tramway Hcp (1400m) on Sept 2, before a crack at the G1 Epsom Hcp in Sydney, ahead of a potential clash with the great mare Winx in the 2017 G1 Cox Plate. Down in Melbourne, Zacinto’s quality middle-distance son Odeon continues his spring preparation which is scheduled to kick off in the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) on October 1, before a tilt at the G1 Toorak Handicap a fortnight later.