The race is on to secure the best sprinting colts in the land with Vinery Stud announcing today that exceptional three year old colt Star Turn will be joining the Vinery Stallion roster.
"We are delighted to have secured Star Turn as a future stallion for Vinery Stud and especially to be involved with his ongoing racing", said Vinery's General Manager, Peter Orton.
"We have been tracking Star Turn since he was an early two year-old; he was the colt we
rated of the current crop to stand at Vinery when he retired. Star Turn has
pedigree, performance and physique, all essential qualities we look for in a
stallion, to add to the success of our broodmares and the future of the
farm.
"He was an exceptional type as a yearling, strong mature and sound. Star Turn soon showed his superior precocity, turn of foot and brilliance when he hit the race track as an early two year old. It has proven to be a rare year of high quality sprinting colts, often racing against each other and taking their turn to dominate. After winning impressively as an early 2yo, Star Turn went on to show how strong and sound he was performing at the highest level in the Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper campaigns.
"It was his three year-old campaign that impressed us the most, coming back to win the San Domenico at Rosehill so brilliantly, defeating the Golden Slipper winner Capitalist; then the Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield where he again won so dominantly defeating the older horses Malaguerra and Fell Swoop. His run in the Coolmore was outstanding after leading all the way in such a high pressure race down the Flemington straight to boldly hang on for a close third."
The Team Hawkes trained colt announced himself as one of the country's top up and coming sprinters by dominating older rivals during the spring.
"He is a brilliant colt and an exceptional athlete," said John Hawkes. "He has superb on pace speed and his natural development and progression would suggest he is in for an exciting campaign ahead."
A $400,000 yearling, Star
Turn was purchased and raced by former Racing NSW Chairman and successful
owner, Alan Bell. A renowned judge of horse flesh, Bell has previously raced
the likes of Grand Armee, Deep Field, Primacy and former champion sprinter, Schillaci.
Bell will remain in the ownership group with the horse targeting some of the
major Group 1 sprints in the autumn.
"I could not be happier to be racing Star Turn with the Vinery team and especially to see him stand at Vinery Stud when he eventually retires," said Alan Bell.
"The Vinery partners are a positive, professional group who have been so enthusiastic about the colt throughout our dealings and for his ongoing racing career. They collectively have an extensive, quality broodmare band and actively support their stallions' progeny in racing which will see Star Turn get the best of opportunities."
Star Turn is out of a proven speed pedigree. His emerging sire Star Witness won the Group 1 MRC Blue Diamond Stakes at two and VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes at three over 1200m. Star Witness was crowned Champion 2nd season sire by winners in 2015-16 while the performances of both Star Turn and Group 1 MRC Thousand Guineas / ATC Flight Stakes winner Global Glamour have him on top of the 3rd season sires table by earnings this season.
This early success for Star Witness saw his stock sell up to $750,000 as yearlings in 2016. Golden Delicious, the dam of Star Turn also possessed tremendous speed, having won 13 races in total including five stakes races between 1000 and 1200m.
Star Turn has now returned back into training bigger and stronger, primed and ready for the Group 1 sprint races in Melbourne and Sydney during the autumn and possibly beyond.
