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Rosemont shuttler Starspangledbanner notches up his tenth Group winner
Tenth Group winner for Starspangledbanner
The Fozzy Stack-trained Castle Star (2 c ex Awohaam by Iffraaj) followed up his victory in the First Filer Stakes (Listed, 5f) with an ultra impressive win in the Marble Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) at the Curragh on Saturday and in the process handed Rosemont Stud shuttler Starspangledbanner (Choisir) with his tenth Group winner. Castle Star is one of three winners out of winning Iffraaj (Zafonic) mare Awohaam and is his dam's first stakes winner. His second dam is Grade 3 winner Horatia (Machiavellian) who produced five winners including Group 3 winner Moment In Time (Tiger Hill). Rosemont Stud announced earlier in the month that Starspangledbanner would stand at the Victorian farm for a fee of $16,500 (inc GST) this season.
Liberty Beach lands Temple Stakes
The John Quinn-trained Liberty Beach (4 m Cable Bay - Flirtinaskirt by Avonbridge) showed tenacity in spades when she took out the Temple Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) at Haydock on Saturday. A winner of the Dragon Stakes (Listed, 5f) and Molecomb Stakes (Gr 3, 5f) as a two-year-old, Liberty Beach took out the Cecil Frail Stakes (Listed, 6f) last season. The filly is a daughter of Woodside Park Stud shuttler Cable Bay, who is the sire of two other stakes winners; Jouska and Collinsbay and he has sired three first-crop winners in Australia this season.
Second stakes victory for Pensiero D'amore
Having taken out the Premio d'Estate (Listed, 1600m) in 2019, Pensiero D'amore (5 h Zoffany - Ira Brevis Furor by King's Best) added a second stakes race to his CV when he took out the Premio Bereguardo (Listed, 1600m) at Milan on Saturday. The five-year-old is one of 41 stakes winner for late Coolmore Stud stallion Zoffany (Dansili), who is the sire of this season’s 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) winner Mother Earth. The son of Dansili (Danehill) died earlier this year.
20 for Night Of Thunder
Former Darley Stud shuttler Night Of Thunder (Dubawi) sired his 20th stakes winner on Saturday when Sopran Basilea (3 f ex Kathy Best by King's Best) landed the Premio Mario I.D.Rocchetta (Listed, 2000m) at Milan. The three-year-old filly broke her maiden at her second start in Milan on March 27 and she was last seen running second over Saturday’s course and distance on April 10. Night Of Thunder’s 20 stakes winners includes four black-type winners in Australia, headed by Group 2 scorer and Group 1-placed Cherry Tortoni and Groupo 3 winner A Beautiful Night.
79 for Mastercraftsman
The Andrew Balding-trained Tribal Craft (5 m ex Snoqualmie Star by Galileo) landed a shock victory in the Bronte Cup Fillies’ Stakes (Gr 3, 1m6f) at York on Saturday and in doing so handed former Windsor Park Stud shuttler Mastercraftsman (Danehill Dancer) with his 79th stakes winner. Last seen running second in the Buckhounds Stakes (Listed, 1m4f) at Ascot, the five-year-old mare defeated Urban Artist (Cityscape) by two and three-quarter lengths, while Makawee (Farhh) was a further three-quarters of a length away in third. Mastercraftsman shuttled to Windsor Park in New Zealand for four seasons and stood at Coolmore's Irish base for a fee of €15,000 in 2020.
Gustavus Weston storms back into form
Having not saluted the judge since his victory in the Phoenix Sprint Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) in 2019, Gustavus Weston (5 g ex Equiano - Chrissycross by Cape Cross) stormed back into form when he took out the Greenlands Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) at the Curragh on Saturday. The son of former Swettenham Stud shuttler Equiano (Acclamation) has now won three of his 14 starts. Equiano shuttler to Australia for five seasons and he now stands exclusively at the Irish National Stud.
Second stakes win for Hukum
The Owen Burrows-trained Hukum (4 c ex Sea The Stars - Aghareed by Kingmambo) landed his second stakes victory when he landed the Tapster Stakes (Listed, 1m4f) at Goodwood on Saturday. The four-year-old colt landed the Geoffrey Freer Stakes (Gr 3, 1m5½f) last season and in winning Saturday’s Listed stakes he bounced back from a lacklustre display in the Gordon Richards Stakes (Gr 3, 1m2f) at Sandown on April 23. One of 78 stakes winners for Sea The Stars (Cape Cross), the four-year-old is another fine example of the success the stallion has with Kingmambo (Mr. Prospector), with the four-year-old one of seven stakes winners bred on the cross and they are headed by Group 1-winning pair Cloth Of Stars and Zelzal.
Rohaan continues good form
The David Evans-trained Rohaan (4 g ex Vive les Rouges by Acclamation) ran out a shock winner of the Sandy Lane Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) at Haydock on Saturday. The four-year-old found more near the finish to hold off the advances of Dragon Symbol (Cable Bay) by a nose, while Umm Kulthum (Kodiac) was a further length away in third. Mayson is the sire of nine stakes stakes winners and his progeny is headed by last season’s July Cup (Gr 1, 6f) winner Oxted.
Back-to-back Lanwades Stud stakes for Epona Plays
The William McCreey-trained Epona Plays (4 m Australia - New Plays by Oratorio) repeated her heroics of last year when she landed the Lanwades Stud Stakes (Gr 3, 1m) for the second consecutive year at the Curragh on Saturday. The four-year-old daughter of Australia (Galileo) is out of the unraced Oratorio (Danehill) mare New Plays, making her a half-sister to Group 3 scorer Dolce Strega (Zoffany) and this is the same family as Group 2 winner Flashy Wings (Zafonic). Australia’s 17 stakes winners are headed by top flight-winning trio Mare Australis, Galileo Chrome and Order Of Australia.
Fourth stakes win for Elisa Again
Elisa Again (5 m Champs Elysees - Sunny Again by Shirocco) chalked up her fourth win at stakes level when she landed the Premio Paolo Mezzanotte (Listed, 2200m) at Milan on Saturday. The five-year-old’s other black-type wins came in the Premio Mario Incisa (Listed, 2000m) and Premio Archidamia (Listed, 2000m) in 2019, while she landed the Premio Lydia Tesio (Gr 2, 2000m) in 2020. The mare is one of 32 stakes winners for the late Juddmonte Farms stallion Champs Elysees and they are headed by five Group 1 winners, including Australian top-flight winning pair Selino and Harlem.
Stormy Antarctic returns to winning form
The Ed Walker-trained Stormy Antarctic (8 g Stormy Atlantic - Bea Remembered by Doyen) snapped a losing run that stretched back to 2019 when he impressively landed the Festival Stakes (Listed, 1m2f) at Goodwood on Saturday. The eight-year-old gelding surged clear in the final stages to beat Desert Encounter (Halling) by three and a quarter lengths, while Winter Reprise (Intello) was another length and three-quarters away in third. The gelding is one of 109 stakes winners for Stormy Atlantic (Storm Cat) and he stands at Hill ‘N’ Dale Farm in Kentucky.
Third stakes win for Aria Importante
Last seen finishing fourth in the Premio Regina Elena (Gr 3, 1600m) on April 25, Aria Importante (3 f ex Twilight Son - Aria di Festa by Orpen) bounced back to winning ways in the Premio Nogara - Mil Borromeo (Listed, 1400m) at Milan. The three-year-old filly won the Premio Eupili (Listed, 1200m) in September last year and she added to her record when she landed the Premio Seregno (Listed, 1600m) in April. The filly is one of two stakes winners for Cheveley Park-based sire Twilight Son (Kyllachy).