Vinery-sired fillies Jamaea (Headwater) and Startantes (Star Turn) will have their work cut out breaking the winning run for colts in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill this Saturday.
Vinery sire Ole Kirk continued that dominant run in 2020. The last filly to win the $1million Golden Rose was Vinery-bred star Forensics and she had already beaten the colts at Group 1 level in the 2008 Golden Slipper Stakes.
Forensics was raced by Sheikh Mohammed as is this year’s even-money favourite Anamoe.
Jamaea has firmed from $101 into $13 following her last-start victory in the Furious Stakes (Gr.2, 1200m) at Randwick while Startantes has been introduced at $15 after her Brisbane-based connections made a late decision to travel south later this week.
“Bring on the boys in the Rose!” co-trainer Luke Price said after Jamaea edged out stablemate Our Bambino in an exhibition gallop at Kembla Grange last Thursday. “Anamoe is obviously the horse to beat. He’s an exceptional animal but so is our filly.”
Price and his father Robert have booked apprentice Brock Ryan to stay aboard while regular rider Tommy Berry is suspended. “You’ve got to be loyal and we were keen to keep him on,” Robert Price confirmed on Monday. “It’s a really tough ask with Anamoe and you can’t underestimate smokies like In The Congo.
“They’re there to be beaten and now is the time if you’re ever going to have a crack. You will never know if your horse is sitting at home.”
Jamaea ($770,490) was Headwater’s chief-earner in 2020-21 when he defeated Pride Of Dubai for the Australian Second Season Sires’ premiership. They have both sired 15 individual winners so far this term with just $160,000 between the pair at the top of the third-crop prizemoney table.
Eagle Farm trainer Rob Heathcote is following a similar train of thought with his Star Turn filly Startantes who has won five city races in Brisbane. “It’s a throw at the stumps and I think it’s very even outside of Anamoe,” he said. “She has won more than $200,000 so we will use a slice of that and have a go at the big time.
“There’s not a lot of her but she has a big motor and a big heart, which takes them a long way,” Heathcote added. “I just hope the run on horses get their chance over 1400m.”
Startantes, who has Regan Bayliss booked to ride, has helped elevate her sire above a very competitive group of stallions whose first runners appeared this time last year. In the Australian career winners and wins categories, Star Turn (26 – 37) leads that field from Capitalist (23 – 33) and Flying Artie (15 – 20).
Headwater (Exceed And Excel) and Star Turn (Star Witness) both stand for $16,500 (inc GST) service fees at Vinery with payment on a live foal. For bookings or further information, please contact Adam White (0414 800 918) or Harry Roach (0401 970 006).
