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Youngstar lives up to her name with thrilling Queensland Oaks win

26th May 2018

Every Group 1 win is special but for Anton Koolman, today’s Queensland Oaks victory with Youngstar was right up there with the most memorable of his career.

The 3YO High Chaparral filly was purchased by Anton’s son Oliver at the 2016 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, because Anton was in hospital.

Oliver teamed up with Inglis deputy chairman Arthur Inglis and his wife Charlotte to buy the filly, who today claimed a fighting Group 1 win and fourth career victory from just seven starts.

“I’ve known Arthur and Charlotte longer than they’ve known each other but this is the first horse we have raced together so for her to win a Group 1 for great people like them is truly special,’’ Anton Koolman said.

“I’ve known Arthur and his family for decades from when I was coming across to the sales and I worked closely with Charlotte in Eventing.

“To make it even more special, Youngstar races in John Inglis’ colours and I thought John was the ant’s pants so to see those colours in the Group 1 winners circle with us is really something.’’

It was the second consecutive Queensland Oaks victory for the Koolman’s following Australian Easter Yearling Sale graduate Egg Tart’s win 12 months ago.

Oliver Koolman paid $200,000 for Youngstar (High Chaparral x Starspangled) at the 2016 Melbourne Premier Sale, where she was offered by Bowness Stud.

Only weeks later a Snitzel colt, which was born and raised at Bowness, was offered at the Easter Yearling Sale and would go on to race as triple Group 1-winning 3YO Trapeze Artist.

“It’s been a great season for the farm with these three-year-old’s winning Group 1s but also plenty of regular Saturday and midweek winners and Hong Kong success too,’’ Bowness’s John North said.

“I’m just delighted for Olly Koolman and Arthur and Charlotte Inglis and all the owners on this success.’’

Youngstar was bred by John and Karen Sheather - their first-bred foal - and is trained by Chris Waller.

She led in an Inglis graduate’s trifecta in the Group 1 Oaks, defeating her stablemate Another Dollar (Ocean Park) and Sheezdashing (Myboycharlie).

Youngstar also became the third Group 1 winner from the Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale in the past six weeks following Seabrook (Champagne Stakes) and Santa Ana Lane (Goodwood Handicap).

Thirty minutes after Youngstar’s win Perast, who was also purchased at the 2016 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, made it back-to-back Stakes wins with a dominant front-running display in the Group 3 Fred Best Classic at Doomben.

The 3YO Snitzel colt was offered by Maluka Farm, who sold him for $100,000 to his trainer Paul Perry.

Perast, bred by GSA Bloodstock, will now contest either the Stradbroke Handicap or Queensland Guineas at his next start as he looks to make a clean sweep of his Brisbane Winter Carnival.

And rising 10-year-old Destiny’s Kiss recorded his 18th career win at start No 83 when claiming the Listed McKell Cup at Randwick, taking his career prizemoney to almost $1.4m.

The Nick Moraitis-bred and owned son of Power of Destiny is a graduate of the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, where he was offered by Macquarie Stud.