Stakes-winning Belle heads starry day for young sire
Arrowfield’s brilliant young sire Starcraft was represented by three stakes performers today, including his 11th stakeswinner.
After nine Group & Listed Stakes placings from 11 starts, 3YO filly Hallowell Belle finally shrugged off the title of black type bridesmaid when she took out the $100,000 ATC Darby Munro S. 1200m LR at Rosehill.
Pictured: Hallowell Belle achieves well-deserved stakes-winning status at Rosehill today. (PHOTO: Sportpix).
It was a staunch effort from barrier 14, which left Hallowell Belle three wide as the field entered the straight and she joined battle with Altar and African Pulse. The chestnut filly showed plenty of fight to win by a neck from Altar and the late-finishing Ever the Same in class record time of 1.10.7.
Trainer Gai Waterhouse said, “She certainly did do it tough. She dropped back in the early part of the race, but I liked the way Tommy Berry just settled her, he did not panic and let her find her feet. She cruised to the lead in the straight and I thought it was over Rover.”
Hallowell Belle is Starcraft’s third stakeswinner this season after Celebrity Girl and Perfect Punch. Bred from the Beautiful Crown mare Bella Inez by Saconi Thoroughbreds she was purchased for $170,000 by Star Thoroughbreds from the Three Bridges draft at the 2012 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale. Hallowell Belle has now returned more than $500,000 for her owners Craig Thompson of Mt Hallowell Stud in Western Australia, and David Walpole. It was a wonderful day for Mt Hallowell Stud, which also won the WATC Karrakatta Plate G2 with Luke’s Luck.
In Sydney, 4YO mare Crafty Irna very nearly completed a stakes double for Starcraft when she ran second in the $125,000 ATC Epona S. 1900m G3, beaten a length by Fibrillation, again in class record time. Crafty Irna, winner of the ATC Adrian Knox S. G3 last season, has now added three Group placings to her record in 2011/12.
Four hours after that, 3YO filly The Social Network extended Starcraft’s tally of Australasian stakes performers to 16 when she found only Pop Culture too good for her in the $250,000 Western Australian Oaks 2400m G3.
The Social Network, from the Woodman mare Femme D’Affaire, is raced in partnership by her breeder Geisel Park and trained by Lindsay Smith who purchased her for $60,000 at the 2010 Magic Millions Perth Sale.
Starcraft, sire of dual Group 1 winners Star Witness and We Can Say It Now, has 9 yearlings in the 2012 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, including three fillies and a colt in the Arrowfield draft .
