Here is one title few would have predicted going down to the last few weeks of the season; with the win of Avolonte at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday, Star Turn drew within one of Capitalist for the number of individual first crop winners.
Ridden by Kyle Wilson-Taylor for trainer Stuart Kendrick in the 2yo handicap over 1000m, Avolonte made a fast start before drifting back to second last, searching for some cover. Three-wide and second last of the seven staters, Avolonte stormed home to defeat the heavily backed favourite Mishani Enchanted (Jet Spur) by one and a half lengths with Crack Of Doom (Domesday) a neck further back in third.
Avolonte has progressed in each of her four starts. The daughter of Star Turn was most recently second to Princess Bojack at Ipswich. That daughter of Flying Artie was a close-up third at Eagle Farm om on Saturday.
Consigned by Vinery Stud to the 2020 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale Highway Session, Avolonte was bought for $60,000 to the bid of Bloodstock Solutions.
She is the first winner from two to race out of the unraced Testa Rossa mare Testa Sarah, a granddaughter of the slick, stakes-winning racemare, Calming (Zeditave).
A regular visitor to Star Turn, Testa Sarah has a weanling filly by the Vinery Stud stallion before visiting All Too hard last spring.
Star Turn moves his total number of winners in Australia to 17, just one behind long-time leader Capitalist.
The Group II Schillaci Stakes winner stands at Vinery Stud in 2021 at a fee of $16,500.
