Star Witness Filly Upsets Favourites to Win G2 Eclipse – Half-Brother for Inglis Premier

Tara Madgwick - Monday January 1

Consistent Star Witness filly Bellatrix Star upset the favourites and showed she will be a force to be reckoned with in the TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) later his month as she took out the Group II SKYCITY Eclipse Stakes (1200m) at Pukekohe on Monday.

Bellatrix Star winning the Gr.2 SKYCITY Eclipse Stakes (1200m) at Pukekohe on Monday.  Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

Trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson took a powerful two-pronged attack into the race with Bellatrix Star ($10.70) and her stablemate Move To Strike ($1.30) and the pair ended up fighting out a torrid three-way finish to the contest with second favourite Velocious ($4.40).

Velocious had beaten Bellatrix Star at their first meeting last month and looked likely to do it again when rider Sam Spratt shot her through an inside gap at the 300m to hit the front.

Bellatrix Star and Move To Strike were winding up further out and at the 100m they joined issue with Velocious before edging clear in the final stages as Bellatrix Star took the decision by a long head from I Am Invincible colt Move To Strike, with Velocious a length back in third.

 

Walker was pleased with both of his runners and felt a change in racing luck for the filly had played a major role in the victory.

“Last start she didn’t quite have all favours but ridden back a little further allowed her to show a really good turn of foot today,” Walker said.

“She is peaking at the right time for the Karaka Millions which has always been the target.

“I think the track conditions (Soft7) favoured her while the second horse (Move To Strike) also went really well.

“We will let the dust settle before we decide what to do with him, but she will go straight to the Karaka Millions.”

Rider Warren Kennedy felt the move to track Move To Strike into the race had played a big part in the success for his mount.

“I got shuffled back early on and probably would have gone the inside if I could have but I saw Opie (Bosson) on Move To Strike go wider and make a bit of room so I tracked him through,” he said.

“She had good momentum when I pulled her to the outside and she gave me a lovely kick.

“She has been a bit fierce in the past but was lovely and relaxed today which was the key as it gave her plenty for the finish.

“It was a lovely win, very courageous and now she is doing things right she will be a good chance for the Karaka Millions if she can reproduce what she did today.”

The victory resulted in Bellatrix Star now sitting at a Fixed Odds quote of $5.50 for the Karaka Millions 2YO behind another of her stablemates in Cool ‘N’ Fast who heads the market with Velocious at $4.

Bellatrix Star was an $80,000 K1 purchase for David Ellis.

Bellatrix Star was purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis for $80,000 out of Phoenix Park’s 2023 New Zealand Book 1 Sale draft on behalf of Fortuna Syndications and is the 24th stakes-winner for Widden Stud stalwart Star Witness.

Bred by Rob Dunnett, she was foaled and raised at Seymour Park in Victoria and is the best of two winners from Alana’s Party, a half-sister by Exceed and Excel to Group III placed Petition from Group I winner The Party Stand. A savvy purchase for just $17,000 from the 2021 Magic Million National Broodmare Sale for Mark Pilkington Management, Alana’s Party was carrying Bellatrix Star at the time.

Alana’s Party has a yearling colt by Royal Meeting (IRE) that is entered for Inglis Premier in the Newhaven Park draft as Lot 90 and she produced a colt last spring by Nicconi before being covered by Dundeel.

 

Advertisment

Race Result - Skycity Eclipse Stakes Gr2 1200m

Pukekohe Park Track: Soft(7) Time: 1:11.07
1
Bellatrix Star
- 2f Star Witness (AUS) x Alana's Party (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson Rdr: W B Kennedy 55
Star Witness
2
0.2
Move To Strike
- 2c I Am Invincible (AUS) x No Evidence Needed (AUS) (Shamardal (USA))
Tnr: Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson Rdr: O P Bosson 57
I Am Invincible
3
1.2
Velocious
- 2f Written Tycoon (AUS) x Parmalove (AUS) (Snitzel (AUS))
Tnr: S B Marsh Rdr: S C Spratt 55
4
9.5
So Naive
- 2c U S Navy Flag (USA) x Altai Rose (NZ) (Bernardini (USA))
Tnr: B Wallace & G Cooksley Rdr: M J Mc Nab 57
5
12
Force Of Law
- 2c War Decree (USA) x Back Date (NZ) (Zacinto (GB))
Tnr: M Moroney & P Gerard Rdr: N S Parmar 57
6
12.4
Lotus
- 2f Time Test (GB) x Fiorenza (NZ) (Stravinsky (USA))
Tnr: G Richardson & R Norvall Rdr: C J Grylls 55
7
20.3
Skymax
- 2f Ferrando (NZ) x En Garde (NZ) (Duelled (AUS))
Tnr: Team Rogerson Rdr: B D Rogerson 55
8
23.7
Montana Bay
- 2g Thunder Down Under (AUS) x Monarch (NZ) (Volksraad (GB))
Tnr: S Ralph Rdr: Joe Doyle 57
More Reading...
$6million Frankel Mare Tops Fasig -Tipton November Sale
The Fasig-Tipton November Sale, billed as the World’s Premier Breeding Stock Event, was held Monday at the company’s Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Kentucky. Twenty-five offerings sold for $1,000,000 or more, led by a trio of Grade/Group 1 winners with international appeal.
El Vencedor wins G3 Balmerino Stakes
El Vencedor is making a habit of picking up major victories at Ellerslie, adding the Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2000m) to his burgeoning record at Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup Day meeting.
All Too Hard's Arran Bay Brave in the Furphy Plate
Phillip Stokes admitted his preference was to run Arran Bay in the Listed John Letts Cup at Morphettville but was overruled by the owners, who made the correct decision in favouring the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) at Flemington.
Knights Choice a True Underdog Story
Punters were left stunned when the Queenslander Knight's Choice and Japanese visitor Warp Speed (JPN) emerged from the pack to fight out a dramatic finish to the $8,560,000 Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.
More Stakes Success for Air Assault
Group I placed last season in the SA Derby, talented gelding Air Assault kept the winning run going for Victoria Derby winning trainer Andrew Gluyas when taking out the Listed SAJC John Letts Cup (1800m) at Morphettville on Melbourne Cup Day.
2024 Melbourne Cup Result - It's Knights Choice
The 2024 Melbourne Cup has been run and won with Knight’s Choice, a five-year-old gelding by Extreme Choice victorious.
Rosemont and Partners Stakes Quinella on Cup Day
Written Tycoon posted his second new stakes-winner on Melbourne Cup Day when promising three year-old gelding Catoggio took out the Listed VRC Amanda Elliot Stakes (1400m)  for Rosemont Stud and partners, who also race the second horse Bosustow.
Kiwi Bred Gringotts Wins $3million Big Dance
Talented New Zealand-bred gelding Gringotts(NZ) (Per Incanto) delivered a big payday for his connections with victory in Tuesday’s A$3 million Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick.
Kiwi Bred Grey Wins Subzero for OTI at Flemington
New Zealand-bred gelding Cloudland proved a handful for James McDonald at Flemington on Tuesday, but the champion jockey was in a forgiving mood after they had claimed top honours in the Subzero Handicap.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday November 5
Here is the full list of 145 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.