It may have only been a maiden 1100m win at Greymouth on the West Coast of the South Island in New Zealand but the speedy Russian Revolution filly is ready to take on stakes company.
Trained by Shane Kennedy and Anna Furlong, Bolshoi Star jumped cleanly from the inside barrier and ran blistering sectionals to win in a smart time just 0.44 seconds off the Omoto track record. The manner in which she won mirrored the racing pattern of both her speedy sire (Russian Revolution and her Listed winning dam (Astara).
Punters where convinced that she had the ability to win over the sprint distance being backed into $1.25 under the guidance of Kavish Chowdoory.
Anna Furlong was on hand to saddle up her charge and was impressed by the manner in which she won, “the way she ran through the line was very pleasing as we expected a nice effort after a short break. She has strengthened and her work has been very good, she’s now a different filly to when she arrived at our stables back in July 2022”.
Russian Revolution was the champion first season sire in Australia, but has only had a handful of runners in NZ. He has done an exceptional job with his 2yr olds and 3yr old crops in Australia and currently sits 2nd on the 2nd season sires list for winners behind the promising sire Hellbent and behind only Almanzor for earnings.
Bolshoi Star's dam, Astara was a Listed winner at two over a mile in the Champagne Stakes at Ellerslie and again at three over 1400m in the Soliloquy Stakes. Astara’s racing pattern, like Russian Revolution was to dominate from the front which has been passed on to their daughter.
Bolshoi Star’s next appearance will be in the Listed Gore Guineas over 1350m on the 21st of January where she will again try to replicate the running styles of both her parents. While Russian Revolution didn’t win past 1,200m, her breeding on the dam side suggest that Bolshoi Star will be able to get further.
Astara was purchased by the astute Paul Moroney for Go Bloodstock Australia at the MM broodmare sale for $240,000 and mated with Russian Revolution, Bolshoi Star was offered on the Inglis online sale and purchased by Patrick Leong and brought back to NZ to race. It now looks an astute purchase with stakes races now on the horizon.
