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No Doncaster for Fifty Stars

3 minute read

Group 1 winner to head to Queensland

FIFTY STARS winning the Hyland Race Colours Ajax Stks during Sydney Racing at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney, Australia. Picture: (Mark Evans/Getty Images)

The Lindsay Park-trained Group 1 winner Fifty Stars (Sea The Stars) will not tackle the Doncaster Mile (Gr 1, 1600m) on Saturday, with the immediate focus for the six-year-old entire. 

Fifty Stars has 55kg in Saturday's $3 million Group 1 handicap at Randwick, but the Lindsay Park team are instead eyeing off the Brisbane Winter Carnival with the entire before possible retirement to a New Zealand stud. 

Co-trainer Tom Dabernig said the All-Aged Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) at Randwick on April 24 was their immediate focus before heading north. 

The first assignment in Queensland is the A D Hollindale Stakes (Gr 2, 1800m) at the Gold Coast on May 8 followed by the Doomben Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) two weeks later. 

Dabernig said the team was preparing Fifty Stars to continue his racing career, although there is a potential stud offer in the background. 

"He'll go to the All-Aged and then we'll go to the Hollindale at the Gold Coast over 1800 metres and then to the Doomben Cup," Dabernig said. 

"I believe there has been a bit of interest for him at stud in New Zealand. 

"If something happens there, I'm not sure what is happening, but at the moment it is press on as though he is going to Sydney, enroute to Queensland. 

"I'm sure the timing allows for him to race in the winter and then go to wherever." 

A winner of ten of this 31 starts and victorious twice in the Australian Cup, Fifty Stars finished 10th in this year's edition behind Homesman (War Front) when chasing a third consecutive win. 

Fifty Stars has not raced since finishing eighth to Mugatoo (Henrythenavigator) in The All-Star Mile (1600m) at The Valley on March 13, a week after his Australian Cup assault.