Quality sprinter Sacred Star sizzled to a first Group One success at Trentham in New Zealand today.
A $90,000 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale purchase, Sacred Star romped home to win the Group One Telegraph Handicap (1200m) at Trentham by four lengths in a sizzling 1 minute 7.64 seconds.
In scoring a breakthrough success, Sacred Star become the fourth individual Group One winner for the 2010 National Weanling Sale at the Gold Coast following in the hoofsteps of Aussie stars Pierro and Driefontein and former kiwi Southern Lord.
Raced by Raffles Thoroughbred Racing, Sacred Star was prepared perfectly for today’s Group One first up by leading Cambridge horseman Tony Pike.
The five-year-old gelding settled off the speed in the feature and came with a blistering turn of foot when called upon by jockey Vinnie Colgan when entering the straight.
No sooner had Sacred Star hit the front, he had raced clear of his rivals and led home Designated Driver by four lengths, while third placegetter Trepidation was another three quarters of a length back in third place.
The Telegraph was the first start for Sacred Start after a fruitless New Zealand spring campaign of three starts which followed a Queensland campaign which netted the Magic Millions QTC Cup and a start late an unlucky fifth from a wide gate in the Stradbroke Handicap.
A graduate of Kulani Park, Sacred Star is the 12th individual Group One winner for former Golden Slipper winner and champion sire Flying Spur (Danehill).
Flying Spur has produced no fewer than 957 individual winners of over 3,200 races and 93 stakes winners.
His last ever yearling to go under the hammer did so at the recent Gold Coast Yearling Sale – a filly from Corumbene Stud (ex Inchita) selling to South Africa’s Adriaan Van Vuuren for $150,000.
Winner: Sacred Star
Breeding: Flying Spur-Irish Nova (O’Reilly)
Race: WRC Telegraph Handicap G1 (1200m)
Sold for: $90,000
Sale: 2010 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale
Vendor: Kulani Park
Buyer: CJ McNab
Earnings: $461,751
Owner(s): Raffles Thoroughbred Racing
Trainer: Tony Pike (Cambridge)
