Sacred Star is Flying Spur’s 93rd stakeswinner

Sacred Star became the 93rd stakeswinner for Flying Spur when he claimed Saturday’s $175,000 QTC Cup 1300m G2 from Masthead and Bennetta.

Bred by Mark Ruff from Irish Nova, the 4YO gelding was a $200,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Attunga Stud draft by Guy Mulcaster Bloodstock. Sacred Star is trained by Tony Pike for Raffles Thoroughbred Racing in New Zealand where he has been twice Group 1-placed at 1400 & 1600 metres.  His career record now reads five wins and more than $300,000 prizemoney from 17 starts.

Irish Nova (by O’Reilly) was Group-placed at two in New Zealand and is a half-sister to stakeswinner Plaudits and Bling, dam of the dual Group winner Diademe. This is also the family of Group winner Strike The Stars, 2YO stakeswinner Marseille Roulette and the highly successful producer Professionelle, dam of Group winners Sportsman, Prisoner Of Love & Hoystar and stakeswinner King Of Prussia.

Sacred Star is one of 13 stakes performers for Flying Spur this season, and he joins Spurtonic & Gold Force (Australia), Zac Spirit (Singapore) & Mushreq (Dubai) as the champion sire’s latest stakeswinners. Although a milestone century of stakeswinners may be out of reach, there are more than 200 horses in Flying Spur’s final three crops that can improve his already excellent lifetime statistics over the next few seasons.

Sacred Star’s full brother was among  Flying Spur’s 36 final-crop yearlings sold this year. He was knocked down for $140,000 to Michael Wallace Bloodstock at the Inglis Easter Sale. 

The highest prices for Flying Spur’s last yearlings were $320,000 and $200,000 paid by the Hong Kong Jockey for a pair of colts from Vivacious Spirit & Serenada at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale.

There is also a lively market for Flying Spur’s sought-after broodmare daughters. Twenty-three of them have sold this year up to the $240,000 paid for the stakeswinner Espurante at the Inglis Easter Broodmare Sale.

Flying Spur is already the damsire of 50 stakeswinners, most recently 3YO filly Atmospherical (by Northern Meteor), winner of the Scone RC Denise’s Joy S. LR on 17 May.