Star Turn sealed a Top 5 spot across-the-board on the Australian second-season sires’ premierships with a running double at Goulburn on Friday.
He finished the Australian season with $3.67 million in prizemoney from 41 individual winners of 66 races. Group 1 Tatts Tiara winner Startantes is the best of his 12 Stakes-performed gallopers to date and he’s building an international following in Hong Kong with Cordyceps Six and Singapore with Golden Monkey.
Hawkesbury trainer Edward Cummings won Friday’s first-leg with Flyway for owner-breeder Gerry Harvey. He had been runner-up to runaway Press Statement winner Regal Pom at Wyong earlier this month and didn’t go outside a runner in the Kosciuszko Maiden Plate (1600m).
Flyway (3g Star Turn – Secretary Bird by Testa Rossa) is from a sister to NZ Stakes winner Testa Secret and she has two Harvey-bred daughters by All Too Hard waiting in the wings – a 2yo with John Symonds and a foal born last August.
Harvey also stayed in the ownership of Rebel County who claimed the second-leg of the Star Turn double in the Goulburn Produce Hcp (1500m). He had missed an intended start when the Sydney races were washed out and stripped looking an absolute good thing for Dynamic Syndications and trainers Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou.
“He was allotted 62kg but is built like a brick outhouse so the weight wasn’t a concern,” Dynamic Syndications manager Adam Watt said. “Gerry bought back into the horse believing he had bred a nice individual and, on his efforts to date, that was a very astute decision.
“He was never under any pressure. We told Andrew (Adkins) to go to the front and just improve and that’s how the race panned out.”
Rebel County (3g Star Turn – County Cork by Fastnet Rock) has now won three of his six starts and is looking a bargain buy after making $75,000 out of Harvey’s Westbury Park consignment to the 2020 Gold Coast Magic Millions. His dam is a half-sister to Savabeel.
Star Turn expat Montana Flash broke through for his first win in Singapore on Sunday. Always travelling like a winner behind the speed, he peeled off heels for Jake Bayliss and quickly had the field covered despite tending to lay out in the straight.
Montana Flash was only beaten a half-length when fourth in the ATC Canonbury Stakes (Gr.3, 1100m) at Rosehill last year but failed to train on for Team Hawkes. Now with trainer Donna Logan, he was dropping back from a chequered run in Group 3 company at Kranji in June.
“He trialled well the other day and 1400m looked ideal,” Logan said. “He really should progress through the grades as he matures and should tap into some of that potential he showed in Australia. He’s a lovely type to have in the stable and so is Jake!”
Vinery Stud stands Star Turn for a $27,500 fee (inc GST). For bookings or further information, please contact Adam White (0414 800 918) or Harry Roach (0401 970 006).