Trainer Brett Cavanough has talented Star Turn mare Once Again My Girl poised to fulfill the black-type potential she showed when debuting at Scone this time last year.
Once Again My Girl broke the record for 1000m at her home track (55.75s) in March 2023 and she also turned heads when resuming from a five-month spell to win the TAB Highway Hcp (1000m) at Randwick on Saturday.
“It’s good to get one up against my mate,” Cavanough said following a well-timed victory over the unbeaten Paul Messara-trained sprinter Perennial (Mikki Isle). “That was a brilliant return and it was a brilliant ride from Jason Collett.”
Cavanough had posted a boxing-like placard depicting the clash between the Scone pair on social media earlier in the week. “She’s a very good mare and we will step her up to Stakes grade if the right race is around. We might have to look at Melbourne because I would like to strike early in the prep.”
Once Again My Girl (4m Star Turn – Once More A Lady by Congrats) relaxed on the rails for Collett and attacked the line when a run came approaching the furlong. It was her first start back since being bloused out by Iron Hat (Salade) in the Denman Dash (900m) at Muswellbrook in October.
Vinery Stud partner Greg Perry bred and races her with Cavanough’s wife Lauren. “She chipped a hind fetlock early on,” Perry recalled. “Brett took her along quietly even though her E-Trakka figures had been exceptional. She’s bred to be fast and with that big back-end is definitely fast.”
She’s the first foal of Once More A Lady who almost broke the Warwick Farm 1200m track-record as a 3yo filly for Joe Pride. It’s one of Perry’s favourite families going back to 1993 Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr.1, 1200m) winner Lady Jakeo (Last Tycoon) and 1960s Group 1 Thousand Guineas winner Regal Peace (Pipe Of Peace) who foaled T J Smith’s multiple Group 1 winner Regal Rhythm (Sostenuto).
Once Again My Girl’s younger three-quarter sister More Than A Star (Star Witness) has won twice at the provincials and Perry sent their dam to All Too Hard in October.
Star Turn’s first yearling to sell at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale on Sunday morning was the $200,000 colt from Bernardini mare Volcanic Eruption (Lot 55). Her only foal to race to date has been Shakattak (Shalaa) who won at Pakenham and Cranbourne last year.
Her Star Turn colt was purchased by Solari Bloodstock acting for Hong Kong trainer Benno Yeung. They also bought a son of Vinery sire Headwater for $75,000 at the 2022 Inglis Ready2Race Sale and he’s off to a great start for the stable at Sha Tin. Named James Tak, he won for the second time in three starts in the TVB Yan Chai Charity Show Hcp (1200m) on February 18 for owners Tsang Hon Wah, Dr Ronald Cheung Ka Yue & Jacky Tsang Hin Yeung.
