Starry Heights Triumphs in Kalgoorlie Cup

Mark Smith - Saturday October 5

There were seventeen stakes races Australia-wide on Saturday, and you would be hard-pressed to find a better ride than Willie Pike's on the favourite Starry Heights in the Listed XXXX Kalgoorlie Cup (23000m).

Back among the tailenders turning for home, Pike scythed between runners on the 5-year-old son of Star Turn to defeat the 7-year-old Galileo gelding Iowa by one and a quarter lengths, with the All Too Hard mare Red Cadillac two and a half lengths in third.

Advertisement

In completing the Boulder Cup - Kalgoorlie Cup double, the Grant and Alana Williams-trained gelding advances his record to nine wins and a second from 19 starts with earnings of $452,142.

"He could potentially be a Perth Cup horse," Alana Williams said.

"I'm rapt for (part-owner) Rodney Kemp. He really wanted to win this race because it was the one race that eluded him as a jockey."

Willie Pike said he had a plan to ride for luck.

"The way the track's playing and how hard it is to make ground, I did not want to try and loop them because I tried it on an odds-on pop earlier, and it blew up in my face," Pike said.   

Purchased by his trainers for $35,000 from the Ruby Racing & Breeding draft at the 2021 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale, Starry Heights is the first foal and only runner for the unraced High Chaparral (IRE) mare Highly Illustrious, who hails from the family of Denise's Joy.

Starry Heights a $35,000 Perth Magic Millions yearling

The third and final foal of Highly Illustrious is a 2-year-old colt by War Chant, a $5,000 purchase for  John Chalmers Bloodstock (FBAA) at the 2023 Perth Winter Thoroughbred Sale.

Starry Heights rounded out a productive day for Vinery stallions after Ole Kirk made the best possible start to his stud career when King Kirk stormed to victory in the Group III Breeders' Plate at Randwick and fell just a length short of a historic double with O' Ole second in the Group III Gimcrack Stakes.

Exceedance looks to have a Group 1 winner-in-waiting after Swiftfalcon demolished the opposition in the Listed Dulcify Stakes. 

Visit the profile page for Star Turn

Star Turn in upcoming sales:
Advertisment

Race Result - XXXX Kalgoorlie Cup LR 2300m

Kalgoorlie Track: Good(3) Time: 2:20.02
1
Starry Heights
- 5g Star Turn (AUS) x Highly Illustrious (AUS) (High Chaparral (IRE))
Tnr: G & A Williams Rdr: W Pike 57.5
Star Turn
2
1.3
Iowa
- 7g Galileo (IRE) x Bridal Dance (IRE) (Danehill Dancer (IRE))
Tnr: Simon Miller Rdr: Chris Parnham 54.5
3
3.9
Red Cadillac
- 7m All Too Hard (AUS) x Sublime Girl (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: P J Fernie Rdr: Natasha Faithfull 54
All Too Hard
Inglis Gold Yearling Sale $4,000
Seller: Devon Park Stud, Lilydale
Buyer: Gitsham Racing
4
5.3
Stop Dreaming
- 6g Blackfriars (AUS) x Beautiful Dreams (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: Luke Fernie Rdr: P Carbery 54
5
6
Come Right Back
- 8g Toronado (IRE) x Sense Of Purpose (AUS) (Tiger Hill (IRE))
Tnr: A G Durrant Rdr: T Turner 54.5
6
6.1
Utgard Loki
- 9g Frost Giant (USA) x Twinkle Toes (IRE) (Danehill (USA))
Tnr: P J Fernie Rdr: Lucy Fiore 54
7
10.4
Another Chino
- 5g Maschino (AUS) x Apheta (AUS) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: D L Morton Rdr: B Parnham 55
8
23.1
Camorra
- 8g Zoffany (IRE) x Mauralakana (FR) (Muhtathir (GB))
Tnr: S V Vahala Rdr: S Parnham 59
More Reading...
Stefi Magnetica Smashes Through $7m Mark
Already a dual Group1 winner, Bjorn Baker’s 5yo All Too Hard mare Stefi Magnetica added the $2m Group 2 ATC The Invitational (1400m) to her impressive record, with her earnings smashing through the $7m mark for her ownership group headed by the Cunningham family.
G2 McEwen Stakes To Jigsaw - Fifth Black Type Victory
A previous Group 2 winner at Moonee Valley a few years back, Jigsaw’s connections would’ve headed into Saturday’s Group 2 MVRC McEwen Stakes (1200m) with a level of confidence despite tackling last start Group 1 MVRC Manikato Stakes winner Charm Stone.
2025 Cox Plate Result - Fastnet Rock and Waller Quinella
A genuine champion sire should be able to produce the horses that win the very best races in the country in which they stand and the late great Fastnet Rock have us a demonstration of that when his high class Northern Hemisphere bred offspring Via Sistina (IRE) and Buckaroo (GB) fought out an epic finish to the $6million Group I MVRC WS Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Blueblood Lonhro Colt Wins G1 Spring Champion
At the start of August we ran a story about the 3YO’s that were entered for this year Cox Plate and aside from the usual suspects there were some ‘Cox Plate dreamers’ and one of them was unraced Lonhro colt Attica, who capped his meteoric rise to fame with a thrilling victory in the $2million Group I ATC Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Te Akau Win G3 War Decree Stakes with Snitzel Filly
Te Akau Racing made a blistering start to the afternoon across both New Zealand meetings on Saturday, racking up six wins in a three-hour period including with a pair of potential candidates for next month’s Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m).
Invincible Colt Wins $1million G2 Callander Presnell for Godolphin
Progressive I Am Invincible colt Ohope won the $1million ATC Tapp Craig (1400m) at his previous start, however was not rewarded officially with Black Type for that result, but he did achieve stakes-winner status at Randwick on Saturday when scoring a determined win over quality colt Rivellino in the $1million ATC Callander Presnell (1600m).
First Winner for Home Affairs
Exciting young sire Home Affairs opened his account with his first winner in New Zealand on Saturday with a dominant debut victory for race favourite Harvey Wallbanger at Ellerslie.
Von Hauke Wins G2 Crystal Mile - Half-Brother NZB Ready to Run
The Cliff Brown-trained Von Hauke swamped his rivals late under a patient rider from Ethan Brown to land the Gr.2 Crystal Mile (1600m) at The Valley on Saturday.
Lindermann Cracks $4million in Earnings
Gelded after losing form following his tenacious victory in the 2023 Group I ATC Rosehill Guineas, the Chris Waller trained Lindemann has embraced life as a gelding and has been on fire this spring racking up a series of lucrative wins including the $750,000 Group III ATC Craven Plate (1800m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Star Turn's Starry Heights Romps in the Boulder Cup
Stakes racing at the Goldfields on Sunday, where the Starn Turn gelding Starry Heights made his stakes debut count in the Listed Blue Spec Drilling Boulder Cup (2116m).