Starspangled Sprinter Wins G2 Bobbie Lewis

Tara Madgwick - Saturday September 16

The $300,000 Group II VRC Bobbie Lewis Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday produced a hectic finish with brilliant Starspangledbanner gelding Star Patrol producing his A game to win by a head over King of Sparta with race favourite Benedetta a head away in third place.

Star Patrol and King of Sparta go head to head in the G2 Bobbie Leweis Stakes - image Grant Courtney

The Clinton McDonald trained gelding was first up from a spell, but a recent five and a half length trial win at Cranbourne indicated Star Patrol was ready to go and he duly lived up to expectation.

Ridden by Ben Melham, Star Patrol burst clear of the pack and had just enough left to hold off the challengers taking his overall record to five wins and five placings from 15 starts with prizemoney in excess of $528,000.

"It was a bloody long straight," said McDonald, who had to endure a protest from runner-up King of Sparta, which was dismissed by stewards.

"I know that they were burning along up front, but those speed horses dropped off.

"He was left there for a fair while out so for a first-up run it was a great effort. 

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"He'll come on from that, and that race will give him a lot of confidence. 

"He'll know that it's not hurting him, and I think he'll be a happy horse." 

McDonald indicated he would return to Flemington for the Group II Gilgai Sprint (1200m) at Flemington on October 7, and possibly Group I Champions Sprint (1200m) at Flemington on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

A $78,000 Inglis Classic purchase from the Lustre Lodge draft for his owner P Ma, Star Patrol is the first winner from It’s One, a handy Melbourne metro winning daughter of champion sire O’Reillly from the family of speed machines like Hips Don’t Lie, Splintex and Acrobat.\

He traces back to stakes-winning Jungle Boy (GB) mare Getting There, who is also the sixth dam of Griff, who won the Listed Exford Stakes earlier in the day at Flemington.

It’s One has missed in her past three seasons, but was covered last spring by Widden Stud’s young gun Doubtland.


Starspangledbanner, click for more info and a Hypo mating.
Star Patrol is the first Aussie stakes-winner of the new season for Starspangledbanner, who is back at Coolmore Australia this spring at a fee of $33,000.
 

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Race Result - Bobbie Lewis Quality Gr2 1200m

Flemington Track: Good(3) Time: 1:09.19
1
Star Patrol
- 5g Starspangledbanner (AUS) x It's One (AUS) (O'reilly (NZ))
Tnr: C W McDonald Rdr: B Melham 54.5
2
0.1
King Of Sparta
- 5g I Am Invincible (AUS) x Octavia (AUS) (Holy Roman Emperor (IRE))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: B Shinn 59
I Am Invincible
3
0.2
Benedetta
- 4m Hellbent (AUS) x Whatalovelyday (AUS) (Domesday (AUS))
Tnr: Jason Warren Rdr: D W Stackhouse 53
Hellbent
4
1.7
It'sourtime
- 6g Time For War (AUS) x Zedoble (AUS) (Zeditave (AUS))
Tnr: D T O'Brien Rdr: M J Dee 55
5
3.2
Zoutori
- 8g Zoustar (AUS) x Atotori (AUS) (Haradasun (AUS))
Tnr: M J Ellerton Rdr: Damian Lane 58
6
3.3
Charterhouse
- 6g Charming Thought (GB) x Crocus Rose (GB) (Royal Applause (GB))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: Jamie Kah 54
7
4.0
Minsk Moment
- 5h I Am Invincible (AUS) x Dancing Express (AUS) (Oratorio (AUS))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: Craig Williams 53
8
5.8
Startantes
- 5m Star Turn (AUS) x Funtantes (AUS) (Easy Rocking (AUS))
Tnr: R L Heathcote Rdr: L Nolen 56.5
9
10.8
Najem Suhail
- 6g Starspangledbanner (AUS) x Sophie's Spirit (AUS) (Invincible Spirit (IRE))
Tnr: R Griffiths & M De Kock Rdr: Thomas Stockdale 53
10
16.3
Snapper
- 6g Power (GB) x Onlyarose (NZ) (One Cool Cat (USA))
Tnr: M D Moroney Rdr: Jye McNeil 54
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