Another Star for Starspangledbanner

Rosemont Stud stallion Starspangledbanner sired his 4th stakes winner when racing returned to Newmarket for the first of this year’s English classic trials on Wednesday.

His promising colt Home Of The Brave bounded away for a convincing victory in the LR European Free Hcp (1400m) and bookmakers reacted by firming him from $50 into $12 for the G1 English 2000 Guineas back at Newmarket on May 2.

Home Of The Brave (3c Starspangledbanner – Blissful Beat by Beat Hollow) had won a Newmarket maiden last July and was placed in the G3 Sirenia Stakes at Kempton Park in September before a winter spell.

“We will have to sit down and have a long think about the Guineas,” trainer Hugo Palmer said.  “He might be the perfect type for the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot.”

Home Of The Brave has an Australian connection through Flemington Bloodstock’s Troy Corstens & Justin Bahen who put together a partnership after buying him for 80,000 euros (AUD 114,400) at the 2013 Arqana yearling sale.

“His part-owners down here include David Moodie, Ash Hardwicke, Peter Raff, Frank Cotela and Micheal Ramsden,” Corstens said on Thursday morning.  “All the boys are pretty excited and are already booking tickets to England!”

Corstens has been a Starspangledbanner fan from the outset after buying him as a yearling at the 2008 Melbourne Premier Sale.  He was a Group 1 winner of the Caulfield Guineas and Oakleigh Plate before transferring to Coolmore Stud for another Group 1 double in the Golden Jubilee Stakes and July Cup in England.

After retiring to stud, Starspangledbanner encountered fertility problems while shuttling between Ireland and Hunter Valley, however, his first northern crop included 2014 Royal Ascot stakes winners Anthem Alexander and The Wow Signal.  The latter went on win the G1 Prix Morny at Deauville.

In Australia, his first starter Of The Brave won the LR Debutant Stakes (1000m) on debut at Caulfield last October and the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude in February.

Starspangledbanner was subsequently transferred to Rosemount Stud where he was born and raised when it was part of Makybe Stud at Gnarwarre.  His fertility has showed steady improvement due to lots of hard work vetting the mares and ASB records show he had a book of 107 last year.

“He’s currently covering mares to northern hemisphere time at Rosemont,” Corstens said.  “Anthony Mithen and his team at Rosemont are doing a great job with the horse and now he’s got another stakes winner in England.”

Rosemont is still taking bookings to northern hemisphere time at $27,500 (inc gst) and broodmare owners can contact Anthony Mithen on 0413 486 767.

Starspangledbanner will stand at Rosemont in conjunction with Coolmore this spring with his southern hemisphere fee to be announced shortly.

Home of the BraveHOME OF THE BRAVE