40th Stakes-Winner for Starspangledbanner
Starspangledbanner has had a hot run around the world in recent weeks and featured in Ireland on Monday when progressive colt Bright Stripes (3c Starspangledbanner x Dutch Rose, by Durch Art) upset the favourites to win the Listed Tetrarch Stakes (1m) at The Curragh, a race won last year by subsequent superstar colt Paddington.
Trained by Andy Oliver and ridden by Billy Lee, Bright Stripes made a lie out of his disappointing seasonal return in the Group III Red Rocks Stakes at Leopardstown last month when he trailed home in last place on heavy ground. This time around on somewhat better surface, he let down with a big finish to overhaul the favourites and win by a length.
“We were very concerned about ground as he’s such a good moving horse," said Andy Oliver.
"Last year we didn’t get anything else and his run in the Killavullan (second) was on very heavy ground. This year on the first day out he encountered similar ground and just didn’t seem to like it at all.
“We expected the ground to dry out today, but it didn’t and I thought long and hard about not running him today.
“Billy switched him off and he really accelerated. It just goes to show how much we really know! He was very impressive.
“The only day he got good ground was when he won his maiden at Naas.
“He’s in the Irish Guineas and all being well that is where he’ll go next. If he follows last year’s winner (Paddington) I’ll be happy enough with that!”
With two wins and two placings from six starts, Bright Stripes was purchased by his trainer for a modest 22,500 guineas at the Tattersalls October Book 2 Yearling Sale. He is a half-brother to stakes-placed Sunsprite from stakes-placed Dutch Art mare Dutch Rose. It’s a pretty pedestrian family with Bright Stripes the first stakes-winner in the first four dams on the page.
He is the 40th stakes-winner for Starspangledbanner, who returns to Australia in the spring at a fee of $44,000.