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Starelle breaks her maiden in Kewney Stakes
Former Vinery Stud shuttler More Than Ready (Southern Halo) chalked up his 208th stakes winner on Saturday when the Danny O’Brien-trained Starelle (3 f ex Star Of Giselle by Reset) broke her maiden in the AV Kewney Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) at Flemington.
The three-year-old was dropped in at the back of the field by Craig Williams and as the field approached the 300 metre mark, Williams found gaps between runners and went after the leaders. The three-year-old filly still had work to do inside the final 100 metres, but she let down impressively to come out on top of blanket finish to beat Chica Fuerte (Hinchinbrook) by a nose. Group 1 winner Personal (Fastnet Rock) was the same distance away in third.
Despite never being able to get her head in front, Starelle came into the race with some good form, including finishing second in the Edward Manifold Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) last October, while she was last seen finishing third in the Vanity Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) on February 13.
O’Brien said the filly was unlucky not to have won a race before Saturday and that she would now likely head to Adelaide in search of further riches.
“She was tipped out in the Manifold in a similar race in the spring and got there today,” said O’Brien. “I thought she was going to get nutted again in a photo but she dug deep and it was a nice win.
"She's always competed in good races and she's really furnishing into a lovely three-year-old filly now. I think there'll be more wins in store.
"She's got a great pedigree and we're very pleased to be involved with her.
"Robert (Anderson) has got some lovely fillies and Paradee ran a really good race for him. He's very pleased to get another stakes winning filly today."
"I'd say she'll probably head towards Adelaide. She might stay here for the stakes race at Moonee Valley in a couple of weeks time. She's VOBIS Gold so the VOBIS Gold Day and then maybe the Australasian Oaks."
The three-year-old filly is the only winner out of 2013 Queen Of The South Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) winner Star Of Giselle, who is herself a daughter of Listed winner Princesa (Danehill).
Princesa is the dam of six other winners, including Group 2 scorer Solicit (Street Cry), while further back this is the same pedigree as Group 1 winner Kapchat (Centaine), who in turn produced Group 3 winner Kaphero (Danzero) and the dam of fellow Group 3 scorer Nayeli (More Than Ready).
In 2018 Star Of Giselle produced a filly by Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) - who is called Star Waltz - and she is unraced and she has most recently been covered by Arrowfield Stud-based sire Dundeel (High Chaparral).
More Than Ready’s progeny is headed by 25 elite level winners and he shuttled to Australia for 19 seasons, but did not return in 2020 and he now resides at WinStar Farm where his fee for 2021 has been set at US$65,000, having stood the 2020 for US$80,000.
