News

Sacred Star simply awesome in Telegraph Handicap victory

17th Jan 2015

Carrying top weight, the Australian-bred Sacred Star (Flying Spur x Irish Nova) achieved his first win at the elite level, claiming New Zealand’s Group 1 Telegraph Handicap over 1200m at Trentham in devastating fashion.

A winner of the Group 2 QTC Cup (1300m) during the Brisbane Winter Carnival before an unlucky fifth in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap next time out, the Flying Spur gelding who had previously been Group 1 placed on two occasions highlighted his class on Saturday, stunning his opposition with a facile four length victory.

Ridden by Vinnie Colgan, the Tony Pike-trained galloper settled back in the field for owners Raffles Racing after jumping away from barrier 12.

Slightly wide in the run, Sacred Star surged out of the pack before the home turn to chase down the leading division, hitting the lead 200m from home to extend away from the field for an exciting victory.

“I was confident we had him back in good shape but it’s not an easy race first-up so we didn’t quite know how things would go,” Pike stated to the media post-race.

“But we knew he was well up to this level after his runs in Brisbane. Not a lot of New Zealand horses can be competitive in races like the Stradbroke.”

Purchased from the draft of Attunga Stud at the 2011 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $200,000 by Guy Mulcaster Bloodstock, Sacred Star is the second Group 1 winner from that particular sale in just over a month after the brilliant display of Able Friend in the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile, joining the likes of All Too Hard, Samaready, Diamond Drille, Southern Lord and Amber Sky as fellow Group 1-winning graduates of the 2011 sale.

Sacred Star, one of 12 individual Group 1 winners for Inglis Easter graduate Flying Spur, is now likely to head towards the Group 1 Waikato Sprint over 1400m at Te Rapa in February, a race he finished a nose second in last year.

An outstanding source of Group 1 performers, the 2015 edition of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale is due to be held on 7, 8 & 9 April.

Later in the day 2011 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale graduate Red Excitement (Excites x Red Obsession) recorded his tenth career victory, and fifth in succession, winning the Listed Chester Manifold Stakes over 1400m at Flemington.

Narrowly defeating last start Listed-winning Inglis graduate Tried And True, Red Excitement was secured from the draft of Evergreen Stud Farm for $32,500 by part-owners Glenn and Viive Williams.

This year’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale Summer Book will be held on February 8-10 and the catalogue of 574 lots can be viewed here or can be downloaded via the Inglis Sales iPad App.