Starcraft Sprinter Wins Seven From Nine

Tara Madgwick - Wednesday January 2
Racing at Sha Tin in Hong Kong on New Year's Day produced a new stakes-winner for Starcraft with exciting prospect Conte overpowering his rivals to win the Group III Chinese Club Challenge Cup bringing a big pedigree update for his Magic Millions bound half-sister.

Conte - HKJCTrained by John Size, five year-old Conte has been steadily working through the grades and surged to the line under Joao Moreira to win this 1400 metre sprint by three-quarters of a length as favourite.

The big bay's victory was one of five on the 11-race card for Size and his stable jockey Moreira, and left the latter enthusing about his mount.

"I'm very excited. I believe we're going to see more upside," said Moreira after Conte had stopped the clock at 1m 20.85s, eased down and still only 0.54s off the track record.

The manner of success and his impressive overall record of seven wins from nine starts has connections considering a possible tilt at Beauty Generation in the Group I Stewards' Cup (1600m) three weeks from now.

Size has that race on his radar, if not yet locked in. "I'll certainly have to consider it," the champion trainer said. "I'll weigh it up but he's run out of other options very fast – if he doesn't go there he stays home in the box."

Joao Moreira has ridden Conte in all of his wins and is a big fan.

"I love everything about this horse; his character, his personality, his attitude, his movement; the way he responds when you ask, he just does it for you. What I really love is when you put him under pressure he may not look like he's dashing but I can tell you, he's going fast," he said.

"Probably because he's big and he's covering lot of ground, it doesn't look as if he's quickening like he is,"

StarcraftConte was a $50,000 Magic Millions Book Two purchase for Aquanita Racing from the Rosari Farm draft and was bred by Ged Nolan.

He is the best of three winners from three foals to race from Miss Midas, a half-sister by Flying Spur to Group II winner Innovation Girl, the dam of stakes-winner Chloe in Paris.

Rosari Farm will offer a Deep Field half-sister to Conte at Magic Millions Book Two in 2019 as Lot 1036.

Conte is the 20th stakes-winner for Rosemont Stud's Starcraft, who has had increased popularity with breeders in the past couple of years covering 101 mares in 2017 and over 50 last year.

Advertisment
More Reading...
First Stakes Horse for Home Affairs
The Group III ATC Breeders Plate (1000m) at Randwick on Saturday attracted a strong field of talented colts from the recent official 2YO trials in Sydney and Home Affairs looks to have a quality youngster in I’m Ya Huckleberry.
Wootton Bassett G1 Double on Arc Day
The shattering loss of Wootton Bassett (GB) has been highlighted at Longchamp in France on Arc Day where the champion sire added two new Group I winners to his tally in 2YO colt Puerto Rico and the former Aussie owned 3YO colt Maranoa Charlie.
Living the Life
The Group III VRC Carbine Club Stakes is run at Flemington this afternoon and seven years ago the winner of that race was the Bart Cummings trained Lunar Rise and what an interesting life he’s had.
New Stakes-Winner for Starcraft
Balcairn trainers John and Karen Parsons may be tempted to test star mare Starvoia against the best after her Listed Allied Security Hazlett Stakes (1200m) win.
Sires With Winners - Sunday October 5
Here is the full list of 47 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Historic Day in Kalgoorlie - Old Meets the New
Kalgoorlie knows how to party, and on Cup day 2025 the party was big!
Aga Khan Homebred 3YO Colt - 2025 Arc de Triomphe Winner
The Group I Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m) was run overnight at Longchamp and one of the world’s great races produced a thriller with blueblood €1.85 millionsale-topping Frankel filly Minnie Hauk going down by a head to the Aga Khan homebred Sea the Stars colt Daryz.
First G1 Winner for St Marks Basilica - 1.7million Filly Undefeated
The top lot at the 2025 Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale was a blueblood St Mark’s Basilica filly from blue hen Prudenzia that sold for €1.7million to MV Magnier and she became the first Group I winner for her sire when charging home to win the Group I Prix Marcel Boussac (1600m) at Longchamp.
McGaw Firms For Coolmore Stud Stakes After G2 Danehill Win
Considered an outside chance in betting markets, Emma-Lee and David Browne’s I Am Immortal gelding McGaw dented the reputation of a few leading Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes contenders with a fighting win in the $300,000 Gr2 VRC Danehill Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Aussie Bred Asfoora Wins Third G1 on Arc Day in France
Victorians breeders celebrated overnight with Aussie bred and owned Flying Artie mare Asfoora returning to her dazzling best on one of the world’s biggest stages to win the Group I Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp (1000m) with a scintillating performance on Arc Day in France.