QUEENSLAND-bred dual Group 1 winning stallion Star Witness now has a dual Group 1 winning daughter when 3YO filly Global Glamour scored by 1 length for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield, Melbourne on Saturday, October 8.
The Star Witness filly scored a dashing win the previous Saturday in the Group 1 Flight Stakes at Randwick in Sydney and proved that win was no fluke with another big race success. The Flight Stakes form was ‘franked’ when runner-up Yankee Rose – now trained on the Sunshine Coast by David Vandyke – became the first filly to win the 2000m Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes for 3YOs at Randwick since the race was first run in 1971.
Star Witness (Starcraft/Leone Chiara) is no ‘one trick pony’ when it comes to sire success! His 3YO son Star Turn won the 1100m Group 2 Schillaci Stakes for open sprinters at Caulfield, 2YO daughter She’s Our Star won the 2YO race at Doomben in Brisbane and 4YO gelding Federal Court won a Benchmark 64 handicap at Morphettville in Adelaide.
And Star Witness also chimed in with a new stakes-winner in South Africa where 4YO mare Mella Maria – a $2500 Magic Millions National Yearling purchase – won the Group 2 Joburg Spring Fillies and Mares Challenge.
Now based at Widden Stud in NSW, Star Witness was bred by Ken ‘Tubby’ Turner at Alma Vale Stud on the Darling Downs who has had remarkable success with his Last Tycoon mare Chiara – especially when mated to Lion Hunter (Danehill/Pure Of Heart). In fact, Turner had earlier trained Lion Hunter to win three races in Brisbane and to be Group 1 placed in Sydney and Group 3 placed in Melbourne.
The successful ‘nick’ produced two Group 2 winners in Ferocity and Chinchilla Rose plus Group 3 winner Leone Chiara. She has produced dual Group 1 winner Star Witness (Starcraft) and 5YO entire Nostradamus (Medaglia d'Oro) who has started stud duties in Victoria after winning three Group 3 races at the Gold Coast, Sydney and Adelaide.
An outstanding sprinter, Star Witness won the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield as a 2YO and the 1200m Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington as a 3YO. He also raced with distinction in the Group 1 sprints at Royal Ascot in England being runner-up in the 1100m King’s Stand Stakes and third in the Golden Jubilee Stakes. With his oldest progeny now 4YOs, their purple patch of form has promoted Star Witness to leading third crop sire in Australia.
