Even Republicans keen to have the Australian flag changed could be dismayed to see Starspangledbanner flying for the country at England’s prestigious Royal Ascot carnival in June. However, on this occasion the Starspangledbanner would not be America’s national flag and flying at the top of a flagpole, but an Australian bred horse of that name flying over the hallowed Ascot turf.
Currently trained by Leon Corstens at Kyneton, this Starspangledbanner is the 3-year-old colt who suggested when winning the Oakleigh Plate at Caulfied nine days ago, that he could emulate his sire Choisir and successfully tackle the big Ascot sprints mid year. A son of the Ireland bred Danehill quality 2-year-old Dancer Dancer, Choisir followed up a win at three in 2003 in the VRC Lightning Stakes and a third in the Oakleigh Plate by going to England a few weeks later and capturing at Ascot in less than a week the King’s Stand Stakes and the Golden Jubilee.
In doing so, he became the first Australian trained horse to win in England and he also made history for an Australian after the Ascot success by being bought by Coolmore, Ireland for sire use for a value reportedly in excess of $20million.
Coolmore have also bought control of Starspangledbanner, now winner of six of11 starts, including the Oakleigh Plate and the Caulfield Guineas, but don’t take over ownership until he contests the March 6 Newmarket at Flemington. He then heads off to England for more racing, but in the hands of Coolmore’s Ireland based training supremo Aidan O’Brien. Dual hemisphere sire use also beckons.
Sharing the feat with Weekend Hussler and Dual Choice, Starspangledbanner is only the third 3-year-old to win the Caulfield Guineas-Oakleigh Plate double in the past fifty years.
He was bred by one of his massive band of owners, Tony Santic, the Port Lincoln tuna fisherman who bought a mare in England and from a mating to another Danehill sire in Ireland, Desert King, bred Makybe Diva, the winner of three Melbourne Cups for him.
Makybe Diva’s dam was bought for Santic by Brisbane bloodstock agent John Foote. He also acted for him in the acquisition at the 2001 Magic Millions yearling sale of Gold Anthem, the filly who became dam of Starspangledbanner, himself a $120,000 Inglis Melbourne yearling sale graduate.
Gold Anthem is by South Australian importation Made of Gold, a son of Green Forest, one of the best by Shecky Greene. The latter was a champion American sprinter by the exported Star Kingdom Australian Horse of the Year Noholme. Star Kingdom also appears in the top half of Starspangledbanner’s pedigree as his son Biscay is the sire of the grandam of Choisir.
If he races in Europe as planned, Starspangedbanner will be following in the hoofsteps of two close relations who were stars in both hemispheres. His grandam, the Vain mare National Song, is a half-sister to the Marscay AJC Australian Oaks winner Circles of Gold, producer of Elvstroem (a Danehill Group 1 winner Australia and Dubai and a Group 1 and second Longchamp, France) and Haradasun (Fusaichi Pegasus; Group 1 Australia, England). Elvstroem stands at Blue Gum Farm, Euroa, Vic, and Haradasun at Coolmore, Hunter Valley.
