Perth trainer Grant Williams has a long-term Group 1 goal for his Star Turn mare Alsephina centered on the 2023 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot.
He revealed the twelve-month plan after Alsephina became the 7th Stakes-winner by Vinery sire Star Turn in the Starstruck Classic (LR, 1600m) on Saturday. Despite meeting black-type company for the first time, she went out an odds-on favourite and won as expected from older mares Gunmetal Grey (Bradbury’s Luck) and Playing Marika (Playing God).
Williams and his wife Alana have form in the Railway preparing the Peters Investments winners Elite Belle (2014) before landing four-on-end with Galaxy Star, Regal Power, Inspirational Girl and Western Empire between 2018 and 2021.
“She’s my Railway horse for next year,” Williams declared. “She’s coming along the same program as some of those mares. She hasn’t had a good break before so I think she will furnish really well after this prep. She’s a lovely mare and is like a pony at home. She’s a natural and relaxes in her races while knowing there’s a job to be done.”
Alsephina (4m Star Turn – Delta Gee by Street Cry) was on a quick turnaround following the Drummond Golf Hcp (1600m) last Saturday. Champion jockey Willie Pike was on aboard again and he reckoned she was a much nicer version after the seven-day back-up.
“She jumped clear and ticked all the boxes in running,” Pike confirmed. “She’s so versatile and that makes it much easier for me. She settled in the zone today and 1800m won’t be a problem in the La Trice.”
Alsephina has won 8 times in 10 starts for earnings of $315,000 and her final start this time in will be the La Trice Classic (Gr.3, 1800m) on January 1. She was bred by G&G Bloodstock owners Michael & Carolyn Grant who race her in a partnership that includes Grant & Alana, Neil Pinner, Tony Buhagiar, Chris Chalwell and Tim McLernon.
The Grants also raced her dam Delta Gee to victory in the 2009 Natasha Stakes (LR, 2200m) at Ascot.
Star Turn topped all Australian sires with five winners last weekend and he doubled up with Starsongari at the Gawler city-meeting on Saturday. The Chris Bieg-trained mare was held up for a run before motoring home when hooked wide by Teagan Voorham.
“She got on to heels at the top of the straight but I knew there was a tremendous turn of foot underneath me,” Voorham said. “I also trusted Chris. He has a great strike-rate and presented her in good order.”
Lime Country Thoroughbreds bred and sold Starsongari as a foal for $90,000 to Rathmore Bloodstock at the 2019 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale. Her dam Msongari (Show A Heart) won in NZ and Australia and second-dam Flying Babe (Flying Spur) was a Champion NZ 2YO.
Star Turn (Star Witness) is currently fourth on the Australian third-season table with 42 individual winners banking over $2million in prizemoney. “It didn’t take long to demonstrate he could get a Stakes horse with Startantes winning a Group 1 from his first crop,” Vinery bloodstock manager Adam White told ANZ Bloodstock News. “And he popped up with another good 2yo when Saltaire won the Inglis Nursery last week.
“There’s a few others around the place we know are coming through as well, so he’s really established himself as a very consistent young stallion. When he retired to Vinery, there were 32 other new stallions starting their stud careers. Look at that list now, he’s certainly holding his own and doing as good a job as any of them.”
Star Turn’s fourth crop are yearlings and there was a career-high 119 live foals conceived at Vinery. He has 9 lots entered for the Gold Coast Magic Millions in January and 21 lots for the Inglis Classic in February.
