Another Group One Winner for Flying Spur?

Media Release - Tuesday November 28
Retired from stud duty in 2012, Flying Spur was back in the Group I groove last month when his son Boom Time won the Caulfield Cup and he may yet add further to his Group I tally in New Zealand.

Top sprinter Sacred Star is on the right track for a fresh-up tilt at the Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year's Day.

Sacred Star - Trish DunnellSacred Star hasn't raced since a three-start Queensland Winter Carnival campaign 16 months ago, but he proved at Tuesday's Matamata trials that he had lost none of his talent.

It was Sacred Star's second trials outing since he last raced and he showed improvement on his unplaced trials effort at Cambridge earlier this month.

Contesting an open 1000-metre heat, Sacred Star was always travelling well for rider Troy Harris back in fifth or sixth position and he was allowed to coast to the line when finishing fourth to Solomon.

"He just cruised up on his own," Harris said. "He felt great."

Trainer Tony Pike was also thrilled with the hit-out and quick to give him the tick of approval to press on towards a Railway start.

"He'll have a go at the Railway fresh-up," Pike said. "He was fresh-up when he won the Telegraph (in 2015) and the set weights of the Railway will suit him. Instead of carrying 59 kilos he will get in on 55 and that's a nice weight for him.

"He's still carrying plenty of condition so he'll have another trial at Te Aroha and maybe an exhibition gallop after that."

Sacred Star was also fresh-up when he contested last year's Gr.1 Railway and he produced a good effort for fourth to Ryan Mark.

The son of Flying Spur was the New Zealand Champion Sprinter of the Year for 2014-15 as a result of his Group One double in the Telegraph (1200m) and NRM Sprint (1400m).

Sacred Star won once in his last domestic campaign, taking the Gr.3 Darley Plate (1200m) at Ellerslie after a fourth in the Gr.1 NRM Sprint, and his three subsequent Queensland outings included a fifth in the Gr.1 Stradbroke (1400m).

Though the eight-year-old missed all of last season, he hasn't been idle.

"He has had a lot of foot problems so we sent him up to Moira Murdoch and she did a lot of beach work with him," Pike said. "We just wanted to tick him over while the tracks were wet.

"He's been back with us since the Cambridge trial and we've been happy with him."
Pike also saddled up his smart three-year-old Haussmann in the Sacred Star trial and, though the son of Pour Moi tailed the field and finished in the rear group, he was pleased with the showing.

"The 1000 metres was always going to be too short, but he's being set for the Derby so we want to get him relaxed," Pike said. "He relaxed well at the back and ran past others after they passed the post. I liked the way he kept going."

Pike plans to start Haussmann in the Gr.3 Hynds Holding Ltd Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie on December 9 then map a path to the Gr.1 $1 million Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m) on March 3.

Haussmann has won twice and been runner-up on a further two occasions in his six starts. The first of those wins was in the Listed Great Northern Foal Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie last May. – NZ Racing Desk.


Advertisment
More Reading...
Flying Spur Heads to Horse Heaven
Arrowfield Stud have announced via Twitter that their much loved retired champion sire Flying Spur has passed away at age 25.
Zousain Sunday 2YO Double
Zousain is surging to the end of the season with a double of new 2YO winners on Sunday bringing his seasonal tally of juvenile winners to 13.
Sires With Winners - Sunday July 27
Here is the full list of 54 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Zoustar Filly Wander Dune Impresses On Debut In South Africa
Making her debut as favourite in the Race Coast Maiden Juvenile Plate (1200m) at Kenilworth, South Africa on Saturday, 2yo Australian-bred Zoustar filly Wander Dune impressed with an emphatic victory.
Another G1 Triumph for Aga Khan Stud Bred Gelding
Aga Khan Studs don’t race a lot of geldings, but one that they do is Calandagan, who made it back to back G1 wins overnight when beating a select field in a tactical battle to win the Group I King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1m4f) at Ascot.
First SW For So You Think Stallion Tamasa As Cicala Takes Out Lightning
One of just three named foals by the So You Think stallion Tamasa, the Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea trained 3yo filly Cicala remained unbeaten, going three from three by winning the $120,000 Listed SAJC Lightning Stakes (1050m) at Morphettville.
Sires With Winners - Saturday July 26
Here is the full list of 86 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
One to Watch - Belmont
Racing made a welcome return to Belmont Park yesterday and the first winner to salute on the freshly renovated track was a two year-old that started a red hot favourite and could not have been more impressive!
2026 Inglis Yearling Sale Series Entries Open
Entries for the 2026 Inglis Select Yearling Sales Series – which will be headlined by the presence of the highly anticipated Snitzel x Winx colt at the Easter Sale – are now open.
Two New SW's for Too Darn Hot
Too Darn Hot is set to be crowned Champion Australian Second Season Sire and is headed back to Darley Australia this spring at a fee of $275,000 and overnight he produced two new stakes-winners in the UK and Ireland.