In the lead up to Christmas there is a lot of racing and a winner at Newcastle on Saturday that would easily slip under the radar caught my eye as he became the eighth winner from 10 foals to race for a remarkable producer that is still active!
The Anthony Cummings trained Adelaide (IRE) gelding Doradus went around at 50-1 in a 1200m maiden having his sixth race start and duly powered up the fence for Jeff Penza to win by half a length.
As a full brother to Group I winner Funstar and half-brother to Group I winner Youngstar, we might expect Doradus to improve over further, but for now he’s a winner and is the second winner from Starspangled (IRE) in the last month with three year-old Churchill (IRE) filly Starphisticated breaking her maiden over 1600m at Wyong on November 24.
She too is trained by Anthony Cummings and might be well worth keep an eye out for in 2025.
Passed in shy of his $400,000 reserve at Inglis Easter, Doradus and Starphistocated were both retained to race by their breeders John and Karen Sheather and his family in partnership and there is more to come from their amazing producer Starspangled, who turned 21 this year.
She has an unnamed two year-old filly by Yes Yes Yes, produced another colt this spring by Cox Plate winner Adelaide and appears to be in foal to Darley shuttler Ghaiyyath (IRE).
The daughters of Starspangled are continuing her legacy in spectacular fashion.
Funstar and Youngstar are both at stud in Japan and the latter produced an exciting three year-old stakes-winner this year in Eri King, who won the Group III Kyoto Radio Nikkei Hai Kyoto Nisai Stakes, read about him here.
Her first born daughter Baggy Green is a blue hen in her own right having produced four stakes-winners headed by Group I winners Tofane and No Compromise and she is now in Yulong ownership along with her star daughter Tofane.
Baggy Green produced a filly this year for Yulong by Written Tycoon and Tofane has a yearling colt by Written Tycoon and then had a year off and appears to now be in foal to Extreme Choice.
