Finally, everything played out for Asherla in a 1200m maiden at Kempsey on Sunday to ring up winner number eight for her sire Astern.
Following two seconds against her elders, Asherla was the subject of a steward’s report when displaying an abnormal respiratory noise when unplaced at her most recent start at Muswellbrook.
Ridden by apprentice Dylan Gibbons, the Kris Lees-trained filly led them a merry dance around the home turn and kept up a strong gallop to win by one and three-quarter lengths. The 3yo Denman gelding Just Ziggy was second with a further three and a quarter lengths back to the 5yo Albrecht mare All A Lady in third.
It i
Asherla is the second live foal and first winner for the well-related Charge Forward mare Heritage Lane.
Placed in one of her four starts, Heritage Lane is a half-sister to stakes-placed Musigny (Reset) and the unraced Sunday Valentine.
A daughter of Sunday Silence (JPN), Sunday Valentine is the dam of Group II Edward Manifold Stakes winner El Daana (Redoute’s Choice), herself the dam of Group II Kewney Stakes winner Wawail (Lonhro).
Kennedy Racing Group paid $120,000 for Heritage Lane’s Hellbent filly offered by Yarraman Park at the Premier Yearling Sale.
Astern’s eight winners in Australia places him behind Capitalist, Star Turn. Flying Artie and Sooboog on the first-season sire table for the number of individual winners.
Currently doing dual hemisphere stud duty in North America, Astern stands at Darley Stud NSW in 2021 at a fee of $16,500.
