Flying Start by First Runners the Latest Twist In
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Racing Post Sunday, May 25, 2014 19 FRIDAY’S GORESBRIDGE RESULTS, PAGE 21 BLOODSTOCK WORLD Flying start by first runners the latest twist in Starspangledbanner stud career THOUGHTS ON SUNDAY Martin Stevens speaks to Anthony Mithen, who stands a subfertile stallion in the spotlight HE TWISTY tale of a Stud in Geelong, Victoria, takes standout sprinter’s up the story: “The horse was stud career has bought by a mate of mine as a taken another turn yearling and he syndicated him, in recent weeks with so I’d always followed his Ttwo of the first five juvenile career with some interest. runners by Starspangledbanner “After he won the Caulfield winning impressively on their Guineas and Oakleigh Plate, racecourse debuts. Coolmore swooped to buy him Moonraker overcame a slow but one lady in the syndicate start to burn off his rivals in a refused to sell her five per cent hot Ascot maiden for Mick – it was a gift from her family Channon, while on Wednesday – so she forced Coolmore’s John Quinn unleashed The hand to race with her. Wow Signal, who made all the “He went on and won the running to score by nine two Group 1s in Britain and lengths in an Ayr maiden. when it was time for him to European breeders impressed retire to stud the lady did not by Starspangledbanner’s want to become involved with a stunning start – as well as the stallion and was happy to recent good run of his sire relinquish her share – but she Choisir, also responsible for didn’t want to sell to Coolmore. Olympic Glory – can only look “That’s where I stepped in. I on helplessly as the stallion wrote a sizeable cheque for her proved subfertile in his first two five per cent share – I thought it seasons at Coolmore and is now was a sound investment for a covering a small, carefully four-time Group 1 winner and managed book in Australia. the only thing that could trip Moonraker and The Wow me up was if he had fertility Starspangledbanner: the son of Choisir covered 51 mares at Rosemont Stud last year, getting just less than half in foal Signal are among 33 first-crop issues. And, of course, he did.” two-year-olds by the Australian- Mithen was a more welcome when I bought the five per cent past couple of weeks he’s had are absolutely at their optimum Australia’s stallion base]. bred Starspangledbanner, who partner for Coolmore than the and thinking I would have a racecourse success in Europe – time to go in foal – it takes a “Coolmore have told me was retired to Coolmore in the reluctant vendor, as he counts share of the spoils of a lucrative it’s been well documented specialist level of vetting and they’re happy with the job I’m season after he won the Golden the operation’s Australian stud career I ended up with a down here and he’s highly attention.” doing and they might send a Jubilee Stakes and July Cup. supremo Tom Magnier and train wreck.” sought after now.” Starspangledbanner is now couple of mares down to him – After one season shuttling to general manager Michael Mithen has made the best of There is a school of thought the focus of many breeders’ I’d like that. Coolmore’s Australian base he Kirwan among his friends. the train wreck and in his first that Starspangledbanner’s attention, but Mithen doesn’t “But if I did see a blue truck returned to County Tipperary, “It was decided he would go southern-hemisphere season at fertility might improve with age think there will be too many come and take him away I where he covered 22 mares in back into work but seldom does Rosemont Stud last autumn but it is only a vague hope as more twists in the tale – such as would be happy with that. After his second book. it work and it was a predictable Starspangledbanner covered 51 his problems are, as Mithen the majority shareholders all, it would give plenty of He was subsequently sent story – he had no desire to run mares (the same number he puts it, “a double banger”: he Coolmore exercising their right upside to our investment.” back into training and, with any gusto. But Coolmore will cover this year), getting 24 has issues with both the to take back the stallion. The careful nurture of although he didn’t recover his agreed that when all was said in foal for a strike rate of just morphology and the motility of Starspangledbanner’s return old zip, he did manage a and done with the horse’s less than half. his sperm – that is, they don’t E SAYS: “They to the breeding shed is a half-length second to Maarek in second racing career I could The latest twist in the story form easily and when they do have dozens of process set to be repeated by the Renaissance Stakes. bring him back to Australia and – the emergence of those two they don’t swim properly. stallions and need Al Kazeem, who proved An unusual chain of events stand him as a boutique stallion winners in Britain, both “There’s a lot of witch doctor to keep the subfertile at the Royal Studs meant Starspangledbanner was rather than a credible Royal Ascot hopes – is stuff out there that claims to commercial wheel but will stand privately at his left ungelded and given a commercial one,” just reward for perseverance. help but I’ve done the research Hturning. Managing a subfertile owner-breeder John Deer’s second chance at a smaller he says. “About a month ago we saw and while some might work for stallion takes a lot of resources Oakgrove Stud next year. stud, even though he didn’t fit “So having felt some light at the end of the an individual horse there’s no and, for them, for 20-30 mares Let’s hope a bright start into the Coolmore model of like a clever cookie tunnel,” Mithen says. “His first magic wand,” he says. to get in foal it’s not by Al Kazeem’s first few being one of a large number of few Australian-bred “His fertility can only be worthwhile. Racecourse two-year-olds rewards Deer’s stallions covering a big book. Anthony Mithen: yearlings sold very managed on a non-medicinal performances won’t get him perseverance, just as Anthony Mithen, who stands bought a share well at the sales basis – we spend a lot of time back up to the Hunter Valley Starspangledbanner’s has the stallion at his Rosemont in the stallion and then in the vetting mares to make sure they [the location of Coolmore for Mithen. European shuttle unlikely for Zoustar Rip Van Winkle puts winner on the board TOP Australian sprinter Zoustar Redvers said having to shelve down to Australia so he can COOLMORE freshman sire Rip Wing who was Listed-placed in One of his most memorable is unlikely to be rushed into a plans to showcase Zoustar at establish himself at Widden Stud Van Winkle got off the mark as Italy, and Erbonne Girl, a runs came in defeat, when he dual-hemisphere stud career Royal Ascot in the Diamond first and see what happens in the a stallion yesterday when his multiple winner in the same gave Sea The Stars a fright by following his early retirement, Jubilee Stakes and at Newmarket future.” daughter Jeanne Girl improved country. running him to a length second writes Martin Stevens. in the July Cup would make it Zoustar, currently with trainer on her first-time-out sixth to Jeanne Girl was bought by in the Eclipse. David Redvers, adviser to part- difficult to launch his stud career Charlie Hills in Lambourn, is to win a 6f fillies’ maiden at the Knockarigg Hill for €26,000 Rip Van Winkle stands owner Qatar Bloodstock, said in Europe in his first year. stand his first season at Widden Curragh, writes Martin Stevens. from the consignment of Victor alongside his all-conquering Jeanne Girl is trained by Stud at last year’s Goffs Orby sire Galileo at Coolmore at a fee shuttling the son of Northern “I’m sure he would have blitzed Stud this autumn. Jessica Harrington for Richard Yearling Sale. of €20,000. Meteor to the northern the Diamond Jubilee field and He established himself as an Galway. She was bred by Rip Van Winkle was trained vvWHITSBURY Manor Stud hemisphere next year was that would have heralded a dual- exciting stallion prospect by Eugenia Farm out of the unraced by Aidan O’Brien to win five resident Showcasing became unlikely to be considered hemisphere stallion career, but winning two Group 1 sprints – the Mtoto mare Sister Golightly, a races, including the Tyros the first of this year’s freshmen following the suspensory now I expect it would be difficult Golden Rose Stakes and Coolmore half-sister to Falmouth Stakes Stakes at two, the Sussex Stakes to sire a stakes winner when ligament injury suffered this week to establish him here,” Redvers Stud Stakes. Further appeal is the winner Rajeem. and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes his son Cappella Sansevero that brought an end to his told ANZ Bloodstock News. fact he is out of a winning mare Sister Golightly is also the at three, and the Juddmonte scored in the Listed Marble Hill planned British campaign. “We will just send him back by Redoute’s Choice. dam of Jack Boy, a son of Hawk International Stakes at four.