Group 1 Autumn Sprints Await Vinery Stud’s New Star

The Team Hawkes-trained young sprint champion in the making Star Turn will step out in new colours during the autumn after Vinery Stud purchased the Group 1 bound three-year-old.

Star Turn

Progressive young sprinter Star Turn will target the Group 1 autumn sprint races for new connections Vinery Stud. Photo: Steve Hart.

A beautifully bred son of Blue Diamond Stakes – Coolmore Stud Stakes winning sire Star Witness, Star Turn is being aimed at the elite level short-distance showdowns in Sydney and Melbourne next time in.

The $400,000 yearling will don the green-and-white of new connections Vinery Stud when he does next hit the track after a deal was struck with notable owner-breeder Alan Bell this week.

“I couldn’t be happier remaining in the ownership group with Vinery Stud and especially to see him stand at Vinery,” Bell, famous for racing such turf greats as Grand Armee and Schillaci, said in a statement on the Vinery Stud website.

“The Vinery partners are a positive, professional group who have been so enthusiastic about the colt throughout our dealings and for his ongoing racing career.

“They collectively have an extensive, quality broodmare band and actively support their stallions and their progeny. That will ensure Star Turn gets the best of opportunities.”

Hawkes and Vinery Stud enjoyed recent success with All Too Hard who won the 2012 Caulfield Guineas, 2013 CF Orr Stakes – Futurity Stakes double and 2013 All Aged Stakes under the partnership.

Vinery Stud are now hoping to achieve the same heights with Star Turn who will join their stallion roster once retired.

“We’re delighted to have secured Star Turn as a future stallion for Vinery Stud and especially to be involved with his ongoing racing,” Vinery’s General Manager Peter Orton said.

“We’ve been tracking Star Turn since he was an early two-year-old and he was the colt we rated of the current crop to stand at Vinery.

“He has pedigree, performance and physique, all essential qualities we look for in a stallion, to add to the success of our broodmares and the future of the farm.”

To date the exceptional colt has enjoyed three wins, two seconds and two thirds from his nine career starts earning just over $650,000 in prize money.

After a sixth to Capitalist as a two-year-old in the iconic $3.5 million Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m), Star Turn enjoyed his maiden Group success first-up in mid-August with an impressive victory in the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes (1100m).

His latest turf triumph came in October’s Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield when beating home subsequent Darley Classic winner Malaguerra by over two lengths.

Star Turn was last seen finishing only one and a quarter-lengths back for third behind fellow gun three-year-olds Flying Artie and Astern in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) down the Flemington straight on Derby Day.

“It was his three-year-old campaign that impressed us the most, coming back to win the San Domenico so brilliantly from Golden Slipper winner Capitalist,” Orton added.

“Then there was the Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield where he was so dominant defeating older horses Malaguerra and Fell Swoop.

“He was outstanding in the Coolmore after leading all the way in such a high-pressure race down the Flemington straight.

“He was brave finishing within inches of the late chargers.”

Star Turn will be racing in the highest company again over the autumn targeting races such as the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield in late February, Flemington’s $1.5 million Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) and the $2.5 million Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) in Sydney during April’s ‘The Championships’.

Hall of Famer and co-trainer John Hawkes, who trains in partnership with his sons Michael and Wayne, couldn’t be happier with the current progress and promise of Star Turn.

“Star Turn is a brilliant athlete capable of superb on-pace speed,” he said.

“Natural development and progression would suggest he’s in for an exciting campaign ahead.”

About The Author

Lucy Henderson

Lucy is an experienced horse racing journalist that has been a crucial member of the horseracing.com.au team for the better part of a decade. She has taken great delight in covering champion mares Black Caviar and Winx throughout their careers and always has a soft spot for a winning filly.