Rookie trainer Gary Boyce has resurrected Star Turn mare Geminga to a first-up win at Morphettville that rekindled memories of her record-breaking debut last season.
Boyce was quietly confident even though Saturday’s result in the Sportsbet Hcp (1050m) was a blow-out for punters at $81. After settling in the box-seat, she loomed up to the favourite Miss Sunshine (Snitzel) early in the straight before fighting off the late charge of Runaway Belle (Pariah).
“The vet said she would improve with a tongue-tie and her trial was very impressive at Balaklava last month. She’s been working the house down and it’s great to come to town and win a race on Derby Day. The owners have had some dollars on her, too.”
Geminga (4m Star Turn – Seven Sonnets by Poet’s Voice) was previously trained by Maddie Raymond at Warrnambool and had clocked a sizzling 51.51s when crossing the border to break the Mt Gambier 900m track-record in December 2022.
Her form tapered off last year but that didn’t stop Boyce when he noticed she was catalogued for an Inglis Digital Sale last November. “I remembered her from when I was pre-training for Matt Sayers,” Boyce recalled “She was fast and only lightly-raced and my cousin Marcus joined the partnership with one of her original owners.”
A fortnight later, Boyce trained his first city winner when Punchin (Outreach) led all the way at Morphettville.
Geminga is a younger Star Turn full-sister to Wellington Boot winner Sonnet Star and they are the first two foals by the Vinery Stud sire from Seven Sonnets. Their dam is a half-sister to ATC Expressway Stakes (Gr.2, 1200m) winner Happy Galaxy (Nadeem) and her latest foal is a Fastnet Rock colt catalogued as Lot 184 at the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale at Riverside Stables on Monday.
Star Turn’s Group 1 BRC Tatt’s Tiara (1400m) winner Startantes is catalogued for the Inglis Chairman’s Sale as Lot 43 on Thursday evening. Startantes has been entered by her breeder-owner-trainer Robert Heathcote and she will be just the fourth Australian Group 1-winning 3YO filly at 1400m or less to be offered for public auction off the track in Australia in the past 10 years.
Star Turn (Star Witness) reached an Australasian-high 65% winners-to-runners among stallions active on either side of the Tasman last year. He’s a genuine stallion with phenomenal stats and his yearlings sold to $360,000 at the majors this year. He started the season breaking the 2yo Southern Hemisphere record when the colt from Commonwealth sold for $825,000 at the NZB Ready to Run Sale.
Vinery will stand Star Turn for $27,500 (inc GST) again this year with payment on a live foal. For bookings or further information, contact Adam, Harry, McKoy or Peter on (02) 6543 8333.
