It doesn’t carry Black Type, but the $80,000 Grafton Guineas ( 1600m) is still a nice race to win and on Wednesday the Michael Costa trained Star Witness gelding Reus took the prize.
A talented type that has made rapid progress through the lesser grades this preparation, Reus arrived at the moment it counted, hitting the line full of running to win by a long neck.
Reus has never missed a place in eight starts racking up three wins and five placings with earnings just shy of $100,000.
A $65,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale purchase from the Aquis Farm draft for New Breed Racing/Michael Costa, Reus was also bred by Aquis and is a half-brother to stakes-winner Sunset Rock from good producer M’Indigo, a daughter of Fastnet Rock.
Star Witness has a good record with daughters of Fastnet Rock producing 14 winners from 18 runners including the stakes-winners Pearl Star and Our Crown Mistress.
Aquis sold the current yearling from M’Indigo, a filly by Spill the Beans for $17,500 at Magic Millions Gold Coast March and she is in foal to Spieth after losing a foal by Kobayashi.
Star Witness has sired over 100 winners this season of over $6million in prizemoney and stands at Widden at a fee of $22,000.
