News

Another Cool Investment Pays Off

21st Feb 2010

Racing And Sports - Saturday, 20 February 2010

Coolmore Stud had plenty of reason to celebrate another excllent investment following an exciting victory by new acquisition Starspangledbanner in the Group One Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield on Saturday.

Starspangledbanner was purchased before his first up run in the Lightning Stakes by Coolmore Stud and Michael Tabor, in whose blue and orange colours he now runs.

Fourth when resuming in the Group One Lightning Stakes on January 30, the powerhouse chestnut son of Choisir showed improvement from that run to score by a head over the dead-heaters Here de Angels and Arinos in the 1100 metre dash.

Already a Group One winner last spring having captured the Caulfield Guineas over 1600 metres on the same track, the Leon Corstens trained Starspangledbanner now has the overall record of six wins and two placings from 11 starts with prizemoney of $1.3 million.

A $120,000 purchase at the 2008 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale for Brad Spicer and Newmarc Bloodstock, Starspangledbanner was bred and offered for sale by Tony Santic's Makybe.

Starspangledbanner is the third foal of stakes-placed Gold Anthem, whose dam National Song is a half-sister to Group One AJC Australian Oaks winner Circles of Gold, renowned as the dam of champion racehorses Elvstroem and Haradasun, so he certainly has a stallions pedigree

He was the first Group One winner for his illustrious sire Choisir when he won the Caulfield Guineas and is now set to attempt the double won by his sire by travelling to Royal Ascot for the Golden Jubilee Stakes and King's Stand Stakes, where he will race under the training of Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle.