Choisir Colt Claims $250,000 Inglis Juvenile

25th October 2008

Choisir featured last Saturday with impressive Sydney juvenile winner Horizons and was back in the frame this weekend with another promising youngster in Starspangledbanner (2c Choisir x Gold Anthem, by Made of Gold), winner of the $250,000 Inglis Juvenile at Moonee Valley.

The Leon Corstens trained colt led throughout and then held off a determined finish from Sydney trained filly No Comment to win the rich juvenile event over 1000 metres by a short half head.

A jubilant Leon Corstens paid tribute to jockey Vlad Duric for the work he has done with the colt.

“Vlad has been a big help, he’s come up and jumped on these horses and helped us out but it’s a team effort, without the team I’m nowhere,” he said.

Corstens said that Starspangledbanner would immediately be sent to the spelling paddock with the big two-year-old race in the autumn in mind.

“He’s growing really quickly so it’s best to put him out in the paddock to develop, he’ll be a lovely horse in the autumn,” he added.

A $120,000 purchase at the 2008 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Starspangledbanner was bred and offered for sale by Tony Santic’s Makybe.

Starspangledbanner is the third foal of stakes-placed Gold Anthem, whose dam National Anthem is a half-sister to Group One AJC Australian Oaks winner Circles of Gold, renowned as the dam of champion racehorses Elvstroem and Haradasun.

Gold Anthem has a yearling filly by Royal Academy and produced a filly by Rock of Gibraltar this spring.