Despite leaving some handy types, the former star racemare Star Shiraz did not provide Darley a great return on the $1,125,000 shelled out at the 2007 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale before on-selling her to Aquis Farm for $200,000 ten years later.
A $15,000 yearling purchase by trainer Rex Lipp, Star Shiraz won six and placed in seven of her 27 starts with earnings of $859,400.
Her highlight came when winning the Group 1 QTC Sires' Produce Stakes and was runner-up in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic and Group 1 QTC TJ Smith Classic.
The first foal of Star Shiraz was the Redoute’s Choice filly Retina who helped write off $22,330 of her dam’s purchase price. In a nine start career her only success came at Doomben at her fifth start but she was clearly talented finishing fourth in a Listed race at Doomben, which encouraged connections to have a sot at the Group II Magic Night Stakes at Rosehill where she failed to flatter.
It did not take long for Retsina to prove her worth at stud.
Sent to Street Cry (IRE) she foaled the filly Savatiano who added to her stakes haul with a hugely impressive win in Saturday’s Schweppes Tristarc Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
The James Cummings-trained mare came from a wide barrier under Craig Williams to settle outside the pacesetting Teleplay.
When Williams released the brakes, Savatiano put the race to bed in a matter of strides, winning eased down by y two and a quarter lengths from Angelic Ruler (Universal Ruler) with Spanish Whisper (Lope de Vega) a head back in third.
“It was a nice ride by Craig he took the bull by the horns, controlled the pace outside of the leader and that suited the filly nicely today,” Godolphin representative Sean Keogh said.
It was the third stakes win for Savatiano after the Group III BRC Glenlogan Park Stakes and Listed WyongRC Mona Lisa Stakes and advancing her record to 7 wins, 8 seconds and 3 thirds from 25 starts with earnings of $840,810.
The daughter of Street Cry (IRE) also owns a Group 1 placing in the Tatt's RC Tattersall's Tiara.
The third foal of Retsina is the highly talented 3yo Lonhhro filly Athiri who has yet to win a stakes although she proved herself among the best of her generation last season.
She defeated subsequent stakes winners Accession and Stronger when making her career debut at Rosehill last December and placed in the Group II Blue Diamond Prelude, Group III Magic Night Stakes and Group III Kindergarten Stakes.
After finishing third in the Listed Cap D'antibes Stakes at Flemington on September 14, Athiri finished an encouraging fourth in the Group III Thoroughbred Club Stakes last week at Flemington so there is still plenty to come for her.
Retsina's 2017 Exosphere colt died after birth but on October 3 last she foaled a Hallowed Crown colt before being bred back to Lonhro.
Star Shiraz is paying her way at Aquis. Her now 2yo Exceed And Excel named Koonunga Hill was purchased by James Bester Bloodstock for $400,000 at the Gold Coast earlier this year.
After missing to American Pharoah (USA) in 2017, Star Shiraz was covered by Spieth last spring.
Though his numbers on the track continue to dwindle with the passage of time, Street Cry (IRE) continues to show us how sadly he is missed even in the post Winx era.
Yesterday his Group 1 winning son Trekking picked up a lazy $1,240,000 for his third placed finish in The Everest at Randwick to vault his earnings to over $3 million while the $1.3 million earner Tally was a fast-finishing second behind Happy Clapper in the Group III Craven Plate.
