Star Turn filly Cher was far from overawed when she charged home to overhaul Riseanfall in the Bisley Workwear Hcp (1200m) at Ascot on Tuesday.
Cher started a $3.80 favourite in front of a boisterous Melbourne Cup Day crowd and she didn’t let them down despite a slow getaway. Trainer Trevor Andrews had expected the filly to lob one out, one back and he admitted to uttering some choice words when she was last out of the gates.
“She had showed speed at her first start in Bunbury so settling out the back wasn’t part of the plan,” he said. “I would have been happy with a second or third but she finished very strongly after Holly (Taylor) angled into clear air down the straight.”
Cher is a 3yo daughter of Vinery Stud sire Star Turn and she led home a quinella for Lynward Park owner-breeder Ted van Heemst. Runner-up Riseanfall is from the first crop of his Snitzel sire Bondi.
“She bombed the start and I didn’t want to be that far back,” Taylor admitted. “But there was a backmarker bias and I was still confident off the corner when she let down.”
Cher’s dam, Suzebabe (Testa Rossa), is a half-sister to Spring Warrior (Royal Academy) who won a Debutant Stakes (LR, 1000m) at Caulfield. She had been trained to a Sandown Hillside victory by Peter Moody and started her stud career with winners by Bel Esprit (2) and Reward For Effort.
Offered by Victorian owner-breeder Frank Bannigan at a 2018 Inglis Digital Sale, she was bought by van Heemst for a bargain-priced $9,000. She has a yearling colt by Rommel and was last covered by Bondi.
The Star Turn – Testa Rossa cross has a 85% strike rate led by ATC Inglis Nursery (RL, 1000m) winner Saltaire who flew from last in a capacity field to finish second in the VRC Red Roses Stakes (Gr.3, 1100m) at Flemington on Thursday.
Perth trainer Grant Williams has decided his Star Turn mare Alsephina will have another start leading into the $1.5million Railway Stakes (Gr.1, 1600m) at Ascot on November 25. “I’m doing it for fitness more than anything,” Williams said when announcing she will have a final lead-up in the R J Peters Stakes (Gr.3, 1500m) on Saturday week.
“Willie (Pike) said she let down like she was going to win the Asian Beau Stakes the other day but he felt she hit a wall at the 100m.”
Vinery stands Star Turn for a $27,500 (inc. GST) service fee, payable on a live foal. For bookings or further information, contact Adam White (0414 800 918) or Harry Roach (0401 970 006).
