Weir Ponders a Start in Next Weeks Railway Stakes for Fifty Stars

Mark Smith - Saturday November 17

Bloodstock agent John Foote has an unapparelled reputation for his successful purchases in Europe and he looks to have sourced another topliner in the Darren Weir-trained Fifty Stars (IRE) who opened his stakes account in Saturday's Group III Sandown Stakes (1500m).

Ridden by Ben Allen, Fifty Stars (IRE) took his record to six wins and two seconds from eight starts when defeating Holy Snow (Fastnet Rock) by one and a quarter lengths with Fastnet Tempest (IRE) (Fastnet Rock) a half-length back in third.

Weir said there is a chance that Fifty Stars (IRE) may back up in next weeks $1 million Group 1 Railway Stakes at Ascot.

"Whether it's the right thing to do or not, I'm not sure," Weir told AAP.

"He's had to come here, he'll have to go back to Ballarat, float down and get on a plane, fly to Perth and then you've got five days to settle in and then race again.

"We'll see how he does tonight, see how he is in the morning and make the decision then.

"He's an exciting horse for the future and has got the pedigree to match.

Still a 3yo by northern hemisphere time, Fifty Stars (IRE) (pictured as a yearling ) was a 110,000 guineas purchase by John Foote out of the Airlie Stud draft at the 2016 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. 

The son of the champion Sea The Stars is out of the unraced Sadler's Wells mare Swizzle Stick who is a half-sister to the Group II winner and Irish joint champion two-year-old filly of 2012, Viztoria (Oratorio).

Fifty Stars (IRE) becomes the 49th stakes winner for Gilltown Stud's imperious Sea The Stars who is a half-brother to perennial champion stallion Galileo.

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