Demerit sired his fourth 2yo feature winner in recent seasons when Starfield Impact scored a front-running victory in the Crystal Slipper Stakes (1100m) at Ascot.

She joins Demerit fillies Kiss Bang Love and Agent Pippa who won the 2017 and 2018 editions of the G3 Gimcrack Stakes. Spangled Impact was another early-season juvenile winner for Demerit in the 2015 Crystal Slipper Stakes.

“That was simple, enough,” jockey Jason Whiting said after letting Starfield Impact coast home by three-lengths on Saturday. “She didn’t put a foot wrong and that was a professional win.

“She found the front and then absorbed a bit of pressure early on when a couple kicked up on the inside. Then she switched off and found plenty in the straight.”

Former Taunton Vale Stud sire Demerit got her from Starfield Image (Kendel Star) who rounded out a short career with four wins in a row at Northam and Bunbury for owner-breeder-trainer Mike Santich.

“She’s a natural. Her Mum was a speedster, too,” Santich said at Ascot. “She was unlucky with the barriers at her first two starts – it’s very hard for the babies to overcome wide barriers. But she did the job today.”

Santich has a winning knack with youngsters going back to 1988 with Classico Belle (El Frances) in the $500,000 Burswood Juvenile Breeders’ Stakes.

He bred a yearling brother to Starfield Impact from the penultimate crop by Demerit who died in July. There were 60 Demerit foals on the ground that year and Taunton Vale owner Nina Johnston has nominated several of them among 12 yearlings for the 2020 Perth Magic Millions.

The Taunton Vale draft will include the first yearling by Snitzel’s three-quarter brother King’s Troop (Redoute’s Choice).

DEMERIT