What a terrific job Starspangledbanner has been doing in both hemispheres, from limited numbers well represented by 143 winners, 14 of whom have been successful at stakes level including the Group One winners The Wow Signal and Millisle.
Boasting a 65.3% winners-to-runners strike rate in the southern hemisphere, Starspangledbanner hails from one of Australia's favourite families and its fans will be happy that heading to stud this year is the dashing chestnut's full brother Barood.
Due to make his debut at Glen Eden Stud, Barood is, says the farm's Sonia O'Gorman "truly magnificent."
"He is big, strong and powerful with a gentle temperament and one staff member he has joked that he is so gorgeous that she'd swap her husband for him!"
A $450,000 graduate of the 2014 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, the imposing colt bred by Makybe Racing & Breeding made his debut for the Peter & Paul Snowden stable at Warwick Farm in November 2015, Barood had to work hard from an outside gate but his gutsy third saw him sent out an odds-on favourite a few weeks later at Canterbury.
Despite striking early interference, Barood was strong to the line saluting by a half length - impressing Peter Snowden who noted that "he is a horse of good talent who has a great turn of foot."
Quickly up in class - again finding trouble - Barood was subsequently second to the talented Sir Bacchus at Randwick.
Racing wide in a race not run to suit, Barood was game earning black type at just the second run of his second campaign, third in the Listed Queensland Day Stakes at Doomben. He would go onto to race for the Sue Murphy stable in South Australia, winning over 1050m at Morphettville in July 2017 and a couple of months later at Bendigo.
Still in form the following year, Barood won two in a row over sprinting trips at Morphettville - completing another double at that track in February 2019; proving himself to be tough and durable.
"He is my favourite horse," Murphy, who was also Barood's regular track rider, said.
"He's got a lovely temperament and he is great to ride - it is like sitting in an arm chair but you can feel the motor under you like an explosive bomb!"
All up the winner of eight races and over $310,000 in stakes, Barood is of course a son of the globe-trotting dual Group One winning sprinter Choisir, outstanding sire of 95 stakes winners including 11 Group One winners.
With progeny earnings in excess of $121 million with stakes winners in Australia, New Zealand, England, Ireland, France, Italy, America, South Africa, Hong Kong, Macau, India and Turkey, Choisir is a truly international stallion.
And he is already proving himself as a sire of sires with Starspangledbanner, Olympic Glory (five stakes winners including the recent French Group One winner Watch Me; exciting winner of five of her first nine starts) and Proisir each siring stakes winners whilst the likes of Divine Prophet, The Mission, Defcon and Worthy Cause have runners to come.
Barood is one of ten winners (from 11 to race) for the terrific broodmare Gold Anthem, a stakes placed city winning daughter of Made Of Gold and the Vain mare National Song whose half-sister is the AJC Oaks winning high class broodmare Circles Of Gold.
Dam of the grand gallopers Elvstroem and Haradasun, both of whom won local and international Group One races, Circles Of Gold is also grandam of the Group One gallopers Highland Reel and Cape Of Good Hope as well as the Group winners Idaho and Noble Prize.
What a family this is with Gold Anthem's stakes placed daughter Gold Chant producing the 1000 Guineas winner Amicus and the Listed winner Cheer Leader whilst other quality performers amongst Barood's relations include the Group one winners Bit Of A Skite (All-Aged Stakes, George Adams Stakes) and Polar Success (Golden Slipper Stakes), the Group winners Marcado, Gold Wells, Ariante and Bring Me The Maid and the Listed winners Tagine, Shagolvin, Yankee Gold, Joan's Best, Zupacool, Sarsarun, Beamer and Ain't Seen Nothin'.
This is a family - one that descends from the acclaimed matriach Eulogy, also ancestress of such high class gallopers as Vo Rogue, Unpainted, Plush, Regal Praise, Fury's Order, Kingdom Bay, Challen, Liebestraum, Nizam's Ring, Rink, Elounda Bay, Red Handed, Gay Saba, Jolly Jake, Red Tempo, Show Gate, Zephyr Bay, Il Tempo, Channel Rise, Honour, Sublime, Burletta, Private Steer, Rubiscent, Lowland, All Silent, Tell A Tale, Platelet, Hawkspur, Ambitious Dragon, Sacred Kingdom and Bonecrusher.
Visit Glen Eden at: https://www.gleneden.com.au/
OR: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3163593427034794/
Or contact Sonia O’Gorman for further details: 0407 811 411
