All roads lead to Moonee Valley for the $5million All-Star Mile for Still A Star after the four-year-old daughter of Tornoado (IRE) came off a 363 day break to win Wedneday’s $150,000 Group III Armidale Stud Vamos Stakes (1400m) at Launceston.
Brendon Mc Coull gave the Bill Ryan-trained mare a sweet ride following the leader Deroche (Needs Further) until well into the straight before pouncing at the 200 metres to win by three-quarters of a length.
Runaway Girl (Sebring) was a length back in third.
Ryan said it was a relief to get Still a Star back to the track.
“It’s been a bloody long year. She’s back, her star is still shining and it has been worth the wait, Ryan said.
“She was going to Melbourne last spring and she got a lung infection and I had to turn her out. Then we got her ready for the Bow mistress (Stakes) and she got another respiratory infection, then we had to beat that.
“I was very confident. She had to do a bit of buffering, but once she got out it was all over.”
Still A Star was making her return to the track for the first time since reeling off wins in the Listed Tasmanian Guineas, Launceston Guineas, Strutt Stakes and Listed Tasmanian Oaks.
A $13,000 purchase by Monica Ryan out of the Alva Stud draft at the 2018 Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale, Still A Star advances her record to eight wins and five seconds from 13 starts with earnings of $501,190.
The daughter of Toronado (IRE) is out of the Brisbane winning Casino Prince mare Lita, who is a daughter of the top-class Stravinsky mare Royal Asscher the winner of the Group III MVRC Red Anchor Stakes, Listed VRC Ottawa Stakes and Listed MRC William Crockett Stakes and was third in the Magic Millions 2yo Classic.
Purchased by Alva Stud for $20,000 at the 2015 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale, Lita missed to Alpine Eagle in 2018 and foaled a colt by Spendthrift Farm’s Bolt D'Oro (USA) last spring.
