Heavenly Group One Glow
19th April 2008
Evergreen shuttle sire Spinning World, who is now a permanent resident in Australia, was in the limelight at Rosehill on Saturday when his talented daughter Heavenly Glow (3f Spinning World x Starsphere, by Celestial Bounty) saluted in the Group One STC Arrowfield Stud Stakes.Improving off a last start third in the Listed Keith Nolan Classic at Kembla, Heavenly Glow relished the wet conditions and step up in distance to 2000 metres, careering away over the concluding stages to make a procession of her first tilt at a Group One event.
The attractive chestnut won by nearly four lengths and made it a quinella for Coolmore sires in defeating Galileo’s Daughter (3f Galileo x Donna Dior, by Marscay).
Previously trained on the north coast of New South Wales by part-owner Ross Stitt, Heavenly Glow was sent to Allan Denham for this preparation and has blossomed, her overall record standing at seven wins from 14 starts with prizemoney of $336,500.
“She was going very well on the turn, I always thought she was going to win from that point,” said winning jockey Robert Thompson.
Heavenly Glow will attempt to make it back-to-back Group One victories when she contests the AJC Australian Oaks at Randwick on April 30.
A bargain purchase for her owners, Heavenly Glow was secured by Ross Stitt for a paltry $10,000 from the draft of Sarsfield Thoroughbreds at the 2006 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale.
She is the third foal of the stakes-winning Celestial Bounty mare Starsphere, a winner of nine races up to 2400 metres including the Listed TTC Tasmanian St Leger.
Heavenly Glow is the 37th stakes-winner worldwide for Spinning World and is his seventh Group One winner, his previous stars including champion filly Special Harmony, who won the STC Arrowfield Stud Stakes in 2004.
A horse that has battled with fertility issues throughout his career, Spinning World has nevertheless carved out an enviable record and covered over 100 mares at Coolmore Australia last spring at a fee of $8,800.
