WILLIAM KROPP STABLE UPDATE

By Graham Potter | Saturday, June 6, 2026

Trainer William Kropp took three horses to the races at Toowoomba on June 6 and came away with a winner and two runner-up results … with the second placegetters both finishing within less than a length of the winner.

Zousain’s Choice was Kropp’s winner on the day.

Racing first-up over the 870m dash in a QTIS Three-Year-Old Maiden Plate, the son of Zousain was able to build on the second place he gained in the last start of his previous preparation and go one better as the $2 race favourite with Harrison Shaw in the saddle.

Shaw took Zousain’s Choice back from the worst of the draw (barrier nine out of nine) and the gelding raced in last place, dropping back all of six lengths in the first half of the race.

A fluent forward move in the sweep to the home turn carried Zousain’s Choice to within two lengths of the lead on straightening, albeit racing four wide, and he was quickly able to assert his authority in the first half of the run home, under strong urging from Shaw, to claim a winning advantage and to ultimately salute with something in hand as claimed the first win of his career at only his third start.
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William Kropp’s two second place finishers on the night were Amenophis, who came home as as the $3.10 second favourite (beaten 0.84 lengths by his market rival Warilla Gorilla … the $3 favourite) in a BM70 Handicap over 1300m … and Sweet Pretender, who similarly finished within a length of the winner (0.91 lengths), when beaten by Bambino De Vino in a BM55 Handicap over 1625m.
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In spite of maintaining a healthy winning strike-rate, trainer William Kropp continues to throw up a winner that arrives under the radar and that was the case again when Gratification won a Maiden Plate over 1710m at Ipswich on June 4 at a starting price of $14.

It was a pretty eventful race with Gratification and jockey Fred Larson having traffic problems in both the first and last sections of the race.

Shortly after the start Gratification was crowded out by a line of horses ahead of him who were all seeking to find the lead.

When things settled down entering the stretch, Gratification was five lengths back in the second half of the field, and, with the pace still on, Gratification fell further back with all of seven lengths to make up as the field began the sweep to the home turn.

It was at that stage that Larson started to send Gratification about his business and the son of Iffraaj made up ground very quickly, to the extent that the Kropp trained runner joined issue with Kalamia King ($11) at the head of affairs turning for home.

And the issue between these two runners would stay in play the entire length of the straight with the outcome of the race, ultimately, only be decided in the steward’s room.

That was because, after Kalamia King had established a narrow lead in the first half of the home straight and Gratification refused to go away and threatened to fight back, Kalamia King twice shifting in, initially restricting Gratification’s galloping and then, the second time, actually bumping and crossing Gratification in a manner which was clearly both illegal and dangerous … the only good thing about the moment being that Larson did not go over the fence when the horses bumped and sledded sideways.

The next move, a protest first against second, was always going to be a shoe-in for the Kropp camp.

Protest upheld. Gratification … second past the post … was declared the official race winner.

This was Gratification’s first win in sixteen starts, but a first win in only three starts since moving to trainer William Kropp stables after previously being under the care of Ciaron Maher (where he had nine starts in which he only finished in the first three on one occasion) and jack Bruce (where he had three starts for a second and third placing).
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On the same card, the Kropp stable also had Yes I’m Ugly claim a second place, finishing a length behind in a 0-58 handicap over 1350m.

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