Starspangledbanner Filly Earns Place In Stakes Company

Grande Marques (2f Starspangledbanner – Medicean Star, by Galileo) will target blacktype after getting off the mark in Saturdays’ rated race at Navan.

The Fozzy Stack-trained filly shaped like a potentially smart type on debut, when finishing third to subsequent Group performers Heavens Gate (Churchill) and January, and remained over six furlongs on Saturday. Racing prominently under Seamie Heffernan, she was pushed along from two furlongs out and ridden to lead a furlong later, keeping on to win by two and a quarter lengths.

Fozzy Stack later noted a Group 3 race at Ayr as a possibility for Grande Marques. Michael Begley’s homebred is a full-sister to Bubbles On Ice (Starspangledbanner), who finished fourth in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes for the same connections.