3 minute read

Starry Legend makes eye-catching debut at Sandown

John Sadler is now eyeing a tilt at the VOBIS Gold Rush (1000m) at Bendigo on March 27 with Starry Legend (2 c Zoustar - Savsenga by Reset) after the colt made an instant impression on debut in the IVE Print 2YO Plate (1000m) at Sandown-Hillside on Wednesday. 

The Bon Ho-raced son of Zoustar (Northern Meteor) led throughout and scored a three and three quarter length victory over De Long Star (Squamosa), with Square Cat (Kuroshio) was a further length and three-quarters away in third. The overall time for the race was a quick 57.72 seconds, quicker than the BM64 Handicap over the same distance later in the day.

"He's delivered, we've liked him for a long time but he's only gone as far as 800 metres in his training and you just wonder. But as happy as I am, it hasn't surprised me," Sadler told Racing.com. 

"It was amazing really, the gate speed, it was almost as if the others missed the start.

"You think to yourself through the race that you hope he isn't running through the bridle but to see him give that kick inside the 200 metres showed that he wasn’t. He's a very promising horse. 

"I'll obviously speak to Bon Ho where I want to go with him but that race (the Gold Rush), off the top of my head now, would be the race I'd like to go to now and then go for a break for a while."

Starry Legend was purchased by Sadler for $500,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the Segenhoe draft and he is one of three winners out of three time-winning Reset (Zabeel) mare Savsenga. 

Further back this is the same pedigree as multiple Group 1-winning champion Intrepidity (Sadler’s Wells). 

Savsenga has a yearling filly by All Too Hard (Casino Prince), while her weanling colt is also by the Vinery Stud resident and she was covered by Coolmore Stud shuttler Magna Grecia (Invincible Spirit) last spring. 

Zoustar has 33 lots catalogued at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, which gets underway in Melbourne on Sunday.