Irish Group Three Winner for Epaulette

Mark Smith - Monday October 21

A dual Group III winning daughter of Pivotal, Enticing teamed up with Fastnet Rock to produce the dual Group 1 Prix de la Foret winner One Master who ran an excellent second on Saturday in the Group 1 British Champions Sprint at Ascot and now Enticing’s unraced daughter Compostela has struck gold in Ireland with her first foal by Epaulette.

The Tom Mullins-trained Stela Star was the 33/1 outsider of the five two-year-olds contesting the Killavullan Stakes at Leopardstown but she looked more like an odds-on favourite as she led at every call under Colin Keane to defeat Aidan O’Brien’s favoured Iberia (Galileo) by one and a half lengths with the Dermot Weld-trained Katibga (Footstepsinthesand) a head back in third. Group III winner in Ireland for Epaulette - image Mark Smith

Iberia was coming off a third in the Group II Royal Lodge Stakes at Ascot while Stela Star was coming off a maiden win at her third try in a 7-furlong maiden on the all-weather at Dundalk.

“I don’t think I’ve won a Group Three before, I’d say it’s my first one,” Mullins told Racing TV.

“She’s very well bred and she’s come on leaps and bounds since she won in Dundalk. I was just hoping to be placed.

“I was a bit worried about the ground, but I suppose everyone was, and she ran through it.

Advertisement

“She could come back here for the Guineas trial in the spring, Colin said that. I don’t know whether she’ll be in Helen’s (Mullins, trainer’s wife) colours or not.

“We’ll put her away until the spring now.”

Bred by Vimal and Gillian Khosla, Stela Star was a €23,000 Goffs purchase. She is the first foal of the unraced Sea The Star mare Compostela whose half-sister One Master was honoured as the Champion Older Female Miler in France in 2018.

Stela Star becomes the 11th stakes-winner for Darley Stud’s Group 1 Golden Rose hero Epaulette who stands the current season at Kelvinside for a fee of 27,000 Inc GST.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Juvenile Trial Watch – Canterbury
A monster set of trials at Canterbury on Tuesday morning featured six heats for juveniles with a plethora of unraced youngsters looking to get some experience as we head towards the $3million Magic Millions 2YO Classic next month and five of the six heat winners are eligible.
Sires With Winners - Monday December 1
Here is the full list of 14 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Epaulette Colt Claims More South Africa Stakes Success
The Champion 2YO in South Africa last year, Epaulette colt Soqrat added another feature race win to his tally when taking out the Group III Victory Moon Stakes at Vaal in south Africa on Saturday.
$4million NZB Kiwi the Target for Unbeaten Filly Well Written
Unbeaten filly Well Written is back in work and while exact plans have yet to be confirmed, a clearer picture of her New Year schedule is forming.
Pedigree Watch – G1 and G1 Potential
Last Saturday provided Australian racing fans with a bewildering array of 15 Black Type events spread across four states, so with a newly minted Group I winner and a couple of other horses we see as having G1 potential, a closer look at the pedigrees got me thinking.
Caliyza Tops Tattersalls December Mares Sceptre Session 1
CALIYZA was the star turn on the opening day of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale when realising 850,000 guineas to Ace Stud, one of five lots to realise 600,000 guineas or more. The first Sceptre Session was welcomed by a packed sales ring and saw 20 lots sell for 8,950,000 guineas at an average of 447,500 guineas.
Epaulette Filly Aryaaf Blows Them Away in Ottawa Stakes
Seven years ago Shadwell Stud’s two-year-old Shamardal (USA) filly Bulbula won the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes for trainer David Hayes and did not win another race in 13 starts, so the same connections will be hoping that Bulbula’s daughter Aryaaf can build on her hugely impressive debut in the Group III Darley Ottawa Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day.
TBA Comment on Black Type Debacle
TBA issued a statement on Monday regarding the Black Type debacle with all the usual rhetoric that leads nowhere.
Epaulette's Mr Cashman Makes Winning Debut at Moonee Valley
Darley Stud’s Epaulette can sure get a runner and you don’t have to pay a million dollars for them, which makes him very attractive for syndicators like Prime Thoroughbreds Joe O’Neil.
Yulong Purchase Half-Sister to Japan Cup Winner Calandagan for 850,000 Guineas
Yulong purchasing as Ace Stud were active during the first session of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale overnight purchasing three of the top five lots including the session topping half-sister to Sunday’s Japan Cup winner Calandagan for 850,000 guineas.