A third behind the subsequent dual Group 1 runner-up, Hilal, when making her career debut back in February, proved sound enough form for the Star Thoroughbred colour-bearer Divina to breakthrough over 1250m at Canterbury on Wednesday.
Given a positive ride by James McDonald, the 2yo daughter of Astern stayed on strongly to defeat the Smart Missile filly Smart Little Miss by a short-head with the Choisir filly Santorini Sun a length back in third.
It has been a heady 24 hours for Star Thoroughbreds after some stable stalwarts were in demand at the Magic Millions National broodmare Sale. They included the $1.5million earner Fiesta who added a further $1,350,000 to the kitty when knocked down to Rosemont Stud.
“They (Star Thoroughbreds) are great supporters of the stable, and it was a great result for them yesterday,” the Chris Waller stable representative Charlie Duckworth told Sky Racing.
“It is a new day and a new and exciting career for a two-year-old coming through.
“She had the form from the autumn. She had a little let-up and won well.
“It was a great ride by James, letting the speed come up underneath him and force the other fancied runner three-wide. He is leading the premiership for a reason.
“It was great to get the win.”
Divina was a $190,000 purchase by Star Thoroughbreds/Randwick Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) out of the Glenlogan Park draft at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
She is the second foal and second winner out of the stakes-placed Domesday mare Sakitto, which Neil Jenkinson purchased for $64,000 out of the Darley consignment at the 2014 Inglis August Thoroughbred Sale.
Sakitto is a half-sister to stakes-placed Hairpin, the dam of Group III winner Detours, and to the dam of Group III VRC Danehill Stakes winner and Group 1-placed Aichi and Listed winner Kinshachi.
Sakitto missed in 2018 and 2019, although it was not for want of trying. She visited Vancouver, Merchant Navy and Vancouver in 2018, and Merchant Navy and Exceed And Excel in 2019.
After missing to Written Tycoon, Sakitto was covered by Exceedance in December.
Divina becomes the sixth fist crop winner for Darley Stud’s Astern. The Group 1 winning son of Medaglia d’Oro (USA) put an early stakes winner on the board with the unbeaten Seradess a facile five and a quarter length winner of the Listed Cinderella Stakes.
Astern will stand at a fee of $16,500 at Darley Stud Kelvinside in the forthcoming season.
