Vinery Stud has announced the addition of exceptional 3yo sprinter Star Turn to its stallion roster in the Hunter Valley.

Star Turn will return to racing for a highly-anticipated autumn campaign in Vinery’s green and white colours after a deal with eminent owner-breeder Alan Bell was finalized this week.

The 3yo colt remains with Team Hawkes and is back in work bigger, stronger and primed for Group 1 sprints in Melbourne & Sydney.  It renews a long-standing, successful partnership, most recently with All Too Hard.

“We’re delighted to have secured Star Turn as a future stallion for Vinery Stud and to be involved with his ongoing racing,” Vinery’s General Manager Peter Orton said.  “We’ve been tracking Star Turn since he was an early 2yo and he was the colt we rated of the current crop to stand at Vinery.

“He 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.”

Star Turn (3c Star Witness – Golden Delicious by Made Of Gold) arrived on the scene in a rare year of high-quality sprinting colts the calibre of Extreme Choice, Flying Artie & Capitalist.

Showing superior precocity and turn of foot, he was an impressive winner at Randwick as a spring 2yo before finishing a close second in the Blue Diamond Prelude and sixth in the Golden Slipper.

Star Turn was spelled for the spring and he launched a season in the limelight with an awesome victory in the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes at Rosehill in August.  It propelled him into the top tier of young sprinters in training.

“It was his 3yo campaign that impressed us the most, coming back to win the San Domenico so brilliantly from Golden Slipper winner Capitalist,” Orton recalled.  “Then there was the Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield where he was so dominant defeating older horses Malaguerra and Fell Swoop.”

Star Turn signed off with a bold third in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes.  “He was outstanding in the Coolmore after leading all the way in such a high-pressure race down the Flemington straight,” Orton said.  “He was brave finishing within inches of the late chargers.”

A $400,000 yearling, Star Turn was raced by renowned horseman Alan Bell whose red and grey diagonal-striped colours have been won by Grand Armee, Deep Field, Primacy and champion sprinter Schillaci.

“I couldn’t be happier remaining in the ownership group with Vinery Stud and especially to see him stand at Vinery,” Bell explained.  “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 and their progeny.  That will ensure Star Turn gets the best of opportunities.”

Star Turn is out of a proven speed pedigree.  His emerging sire Star Witness won the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at two and Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes as a three year-old.

Star Witness (Starcraft) was crowned Champion 2nd season sire by winners in 2015-16 while the performances of Star Turn and Global Glamour (G1 Flight St & G1 Thousand Guineas) 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 including five stakes races between 1000 and 1200m.

“Star Turn is a brilliant athlete capable of superb on-pace speed,” John Hawkes said this week.  “Natural development and progression would suggest he’s in for an exciting campaign ahead.”

STAR TURN