Sensationally backed Tasmanian Yearling Sale graduate Bold Star did best in a driving finish to earn a maiden stakes win in Saturday’s Listed Kensington Stakes (1000m) at Flemington.
Ridden by Dwayne Dunn for Morphettville-based trainer Gordon Richards, the son of Needs Further defeated the outsider Causeway Girl (Shamus Award) by a nose with a half-head back to All Too Royal (All Too Hard) in third.
Sydneysider Time To Reign, making his first start since last year’s Golden Slipper, clocked in fourth after leading, less than a length from the winner.
Bold Star has now won five of his last seven starts and was coming off a second in the Group III Standish Handicap at Flemington. Dunn praised the trainer for his placing of the horse.
“Gordon Richards has done a magnificent job with this horse. He sent him back to Adelaide and put him on the water-walker and said he was much happier,” Dunn said.
“Gordon has been a great supporter over a long period of time. He had some wild ones back in the early days when he was training at Port Lincoln, but he can find a nice horse at good value. Owners could do a lot worse than to see Gordon because he is a horseman that can find a lovely type that can be competitive at a high grade.”
Purchase by his trainer for just $18,000 out of the Brooklyn Park draft at the 2017 Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale, Bold Star advances his record to 7 wins and 4 seconds from 17 starts with earnings of $331,400.
He is the best of three winners from as many to race out of the unraced Danewin mare Alzahra Star who is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Mudhish (Redoute's Choice).
Alzahra Star has a 2yo filly by Clangalang and was covered by Needs Further again last spring.
Bold Star becomes the fourth stakes-winner for Armidale Stud’s Encosta de Lago stallion Needs Further who has 13 lots catalogued for the Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale and one at the Inglis Premier.
