Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Friday July 23

With the success of her first foal, the dual Group 1 winner Star Witness, it was somewhat surprising that it took another eleven years before Leone Chiara revisited Starcraft.

The result is the striking chestnut colt Regulus who will be out to break his maiden at Caulfield on Saturday in the $150,000 Neds Vobis Gold Ingot (1400m).

Like the Group 1 MRC Blue Diamond Stakes and Group 1 VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes hero Star Witness, Regulus is in the stable of Danny O'Brien. The leading trainer signed the cheque for $320,000 to secure the colt from the B2B Thoroughbreds draft at the Gold Coast in 2020.

Regulus a $320,000 Magic Millions yearling

At his first start, Regulas was a fighting third behind Jagar and Stalking over 1200m at Flemington on July 3. He looked the winner at the 200m before peaking on his run.

O'Brien has put the polish on many of the foals of Leone Chiara, who he also trained.

A sister to Group II winners Chinchilla Rose and Ferocity and a half-to Listed winner Chiaramonte, Leone Chira enjoyed stakes success in South Australia in the Group III SAJC RN Irwin Stakes and Listed WH Wylie Hcp while banking almost $350,000 with seven wins from 26 starts.

A product of Ken' Tubby' Turner's flying Danehill stallion Lion Hunter and his inspired $16,500 broodmare purchase Chiara (Last Tycoon), Leone Chiara came up for sale at the 2014 National Broodmare Sale. There was little surprise when O'Brien signed the ticket for $800,000 on behalf of clients.

A year earlier, Leone Chiara's Medaglia d'Oro (USA) colt made $500,000 at the Easter Yearling Sale. When Leone Chiara went through the ring, the Medaglia d'Oro (USA) colt named Nostradamus had won his first starts at Flemington before a fourth behind Rubick in the Group III Blue Diamond Prelude for colts and gelding.

Chinchilla Rose, a sister to Leone Chiara, wins the Surround Stakes (image Mark Smith)

Nostradamus became Leone Chiara's second stakes winner when capturing the Group III San Domenico Stakes at Rosehill before adding the Group III Gold Coast Guineas.

Nostradamus now stands alongside Starcraft at Rosemont Stud.

Advertisement

The stakes account grew to three in May when Leone Chiara's $280,000 Sebring colt Embracer won the Listed Hawkesbury Gold Rush for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.

Embracer's lightly raced sister Lady Lupino was third behind Castelvecchio and Loving Gaby in the Group 1 ATC Champagne Stakes. Among the many in the family owned by B2B Bloodstock, Lady Lupino was covered by Starcraft last spring.

Leone Chiara has four fillies from her ten foals to date. The latest is a yearling daughter of Starcraft. Her first filly, Elusive Leone, had just three foals before her tragic death. Her daughter Vulpine won the Group III Wenona Girl Stakes at Randwick in March.

A 5-time Group 1 winning son of Soviet Star, Starcraft lines up for his sixteenth season at stud this year.

Starcraft (image Mark Smith)

The strapping chestnut has ridden the rollercoaster of fashion over the years after being well supported in his formative years by his owner Paul Makin.

The winner of the 2004 AJC Australian Derby and Chipping Norton Stakes and Group 1 Mudgway Stakes in New Zealand, Starcraft represented the antipodes with distinction in Europe.

After finishing third behind Savabeel and Fields Of Omagh in the WS Cox Plate, the colt was sent to Luca Cumani at Newmarket. He won the Group 1 Prix du Moulin at Longchamp before downing Dubawi in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, held that year at Newmarket as Ascot closed for refurbishment.

Never to shirk from a challenge, connections stumped the $800,000 late entry fee for Starcraft in the $4million Breeders' Cup Classic held that year at Belmont Park. Racing on dirt for the first time in his career, Starcraft finished seventh of the 13 runners led by Horse Of The Year, Saint Liam.   

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Saturday June 28
Here is the full list of 109 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sires With Winners - Sunday June 29
Here is the full list of 53 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Unbeaten So You Think 3YO WA's New Excitement Machine
One month to the day since he first set foot on a racecourse, So You Think’s three year old son  Opportunistic remains undefeated from three starts, is a dual stakes winner with earnings of $200,250 to his name, and is WA's new rising star of the turf.
Better Than Ready’s Metalart Wins Group 3 W J Healy Stakes
Improving off a third in the Listed Lightning Handicap at Eagle Farm recently, 4yo Better Than Ready gelding Metalart stepped up to 1200m to record his first black type success, winning the Group 3 W J Healy Stakes.
Wootton Bassett Winning Whirl
It was a red letter day for Wootton Bassett (GB) at The Curragh overnight with a treble of winners highlighted by top class filly Whirl, who captured the Group I Pretty Polly Stakes (1m2f), a race won by the mighty Via Sistina in 2023.
Another Aussie SW Sourced from Aga Khan Studs
When Australian investors buy tried horses out of Europe from Aga Khan Studs they know they are getting quality, but the good ones don’t come cheap with Elamaz (IRE) sourced from their draft at the Arqana Arc Sale last year for €480,000.
Aussie 2YO SW for Tivaci
New Zealand-bred colt Matahga stamped himself as an exciting spring three-year-old prospect with a hard-fought victory in the A$120,000 Listed David Peacock Oaklands Plate (1400m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
How Much for a Snitzel Colt from Winx?
The record price for a yearling by the late champion sire Snitzel stands at $2.8million, but that benchmark looks set to be smashed at Inglis Easter next year.
Big Pedigrees Don’t Always Spell Black Type
The breeding of thoroughbreds is a very inexact science which is why we saw siblings to a pair of Group I winners fighting out the finish of a very pedestrian 1100m maiden at Ballarat on Sunday.
$3million Won Through Inglis Xtra Bonus
A staggering $3m has now been won as part of the Inglis Xtra Bonus Series following today’s victory by the Cody Morgan-trained 3YO Considered at Dubbo.