Stakes Success for Solar Star

Well-related Karaka graduate Solar Star (Zoustar) enhanced her value with a black-type victory in Saturday’s A$125,000 Listed Gai Waterhouse Classic (1350m) at Ipswich.

Solar Star is by boom stallion Zoustar out of the class mare Petty Cury (Not a Single Doubt), whose six wins included the Group Three Darley Plate (1200m) at Ellerslie.

Offered by Westbury Stud at the 2017 Premier Sale, Solar Star was a $190,000 purchase by BBA Ireland and the Freedman Brothers.

Saturday’s win was the eighth of Solar Star’s 26-start career, and her first at stakes level. Now trained by Tony Gollan for the Ruane Menangle Syndicate, she has exceeded her purchase price with A$263,430 in stakes.

In Saturday’s feature for fillies and mares, jockey Robbie Fradd pushed the four-year-old forward from the moment the gates opened, and she took the lead within the first 200 metres of the race.

Solar Star faced a strong challenge in the straight from the favourite Jami Lady (Spirit of Boom), but she fought hard and held on to win by three-quarters of a length.

“She has now won three from three here at Ipswich and is a black-type winner,” Gollan said. “It means she is a really nice broodmare prospect now, and it puts the icing on what has been a great season for everyone at the stable.”

Fradd was impressed with his mount’s tenacity.

“She is a lovely, tough mare,” he said. “Now hopefully she will go to a really top sire.”