Starspangledbanner Filly Wins $250,000 Gold Rush
Promising filly Thrillster (2f Starspangledbanner x Heart of Thrills, by Show a Heart) showed real talent with a stakes-placing on debut last month and confirmed her potential when winning the $250,000 VOBIS Gold Rush Plate at Bendigo on Saturday.
Trained by Leon and Troy Corstens, who also trainer her sire Starspangledbanner, Thrillster powered to the line from back in the field to win the 1000 metre dash by a nose over her stablemate Really Swish.
"I'd be very disappointed if they both didn’t go on and become good horses. The filly, I think she might be a (Thousand) Guineas horse next spring,” said Leon Corstens.
"We trained Starspangledbanner, so it's a great result. I think he deserves to get a really good horse. He was a really good horse himself so hopefully she'll go on."
The VOBIS fun might not be over just yet for the owners of Thrillster as being by a stallion that was Victorian based when she was conceived, she is eligible to run for $300,000 on the VOBIS raceday at Caulfield on April 21.
A $60,000 Inglis Premier purchase from the Rosemont Stud draft for Malua Bloodstock, Thrillster is the first winner for Heart of Thrills, a three-quarter sister-in-blood to Group III winner Gotta Have Heart and stakes-winner Crossyourheart.
She is the 50th winner worldwide for Starspangledbanner, who battled fertility issues early in his stud career before enjoying a stint at Rosemont Stud in Victoria and ultimately returning to full commercial use at Coolmore in the Hunter Valley.
Starspangledbanner had over 50 foals born in Australia last year and covered a further 56 mares at Coolmore last spring.
With 10.8% stakes-winners to runners, there is no doubt Starspangledbanner is a top class sire and with these better numbers coming through may well make the impact he deserves.