News

Scone flag-bearer stars at Hawkesbury

5th May 2012

Scone Yearling Sale flag-bearer Star Of Octagonal shone at the Hawkesbury Race Club’s seventh annual stand-alone Saturday race meeting today, scoring in the $150,000 Listed Hawkesbury Rowley Mile (1600m).

The Todd Howlett trained galloper was given a beautiful ride by Robert Thompson, who kicked the star for home rounding into the Hawkesbury straight and drove him home to a rousing victory over Western Symbol, with Saint Encosta back in third.

STAR OF OCTAGONAL ($23,000 2008 Scone, 5g Octagonal-Joyce) has provided his owners Phil and Leanne Moore with plenty of highlights since his selection by Howlett from the 2008 Inglis Scone Yearling Sale. The Moore’s dream was to race a son of the great Octagonal, which they have done so very successfully, with today’s victory taking the five year old’s career earnings to $843,000.

Bred by Woodbury Pty Ltd, the Scone graduate looked to have the world at his feet after back-to-back wins in the Group 3 ATC South Pacific Classic (1400m) at Randwick and $770,000 Inglis Guineas (1600m) at Scone two years ago, but a run of wet tracks and bad luck hindered the gelding showing his best. But the five time winner has surged back to form in 2012 and connections are very much looking forward to a return to the Scone Carnival in a fortnight.

“We had a lot of plans for him and we kept getting washed out with wet tracks and things didn’t go right so we just made it up as we went along,” Howlett said.

“We wanted to go to Scone but we need a race before Scone so we came here.

“He definitely deserves that, he’s has been a great horse to me and great horse to the owners,” Howlett added.

At value prices the Scone Yearling Sale has unearthed plenty of high quality gallopers in recent years such as Hot Danish, Small Minds, Star Of Octagonal, Welkom Gold, Torah, Fill The Page and Macau star Happy Gladiator.

The 2012 Inglis H.T.B.A Scone Yearling Sale will be conducted over one select day on Sunday May 20 at White Park, Scone, following the two day Scone Race Club Carnival on Friday and Saturday May 18 and 19.

98% of the 210 yearlings selected for this year’s Scone Sale are BOBS eligible, with the online catalogue available for viewing at www.inglis.com.au. Hard-copy catalogues can be requested from Inglis’ Sydney office on +61 2 9399 7999 or email catalogue@inglis.com.au