Vinery Stud’s Star Turn has been on a winning run of late.
Wiltshire kickstarted it when scoring at Canberra on Friday. Then Pomade won on debut at Doomben on Saturday before Alqantur spaced them on debut in Singapore.
Demon Blood joined the party when he opened his winning account at Geelong on Sunday at just his second start.
The Kris Lees-trained Pomade did plenty wrong on debut but still had a short-neck to spare over the fast-finishing Fastnet Rock filly Bessmati. Another Star Turn debutant, the Annabel Neasham-trained Good Girl, was one and a quarter lengths back in third.
Carrying the colours of his sire, Pomade was a $70,000 purchase by his trainer from the Vinery Stud draft at the 2021 Inglis HTBA May Yearling Sale.
Stable representative Mel Eggleston said the stable came north with plenty of confidence.
“His owner, Alan Bell, is here today. He said he would ping sit outside the leader, which he did.
“Kris sent him up here to give him a confidence booster. He still has a lot to learn, as you can see when he wanted to get away from the winning post.
“He looks very promising and is a cracking type. He is very laid back. Nothing fazes him. He came up here on Thursday, and we gave him a trot and canter with the blinkers on to sharpen him up a bit.”
Alqantur was no less impressive at his debut over 1200m in Singapore.
The Michael Clements-trained son of Star Turn needed little more than a shake of the reins by Louis Beuzelin to defeat the Proisir gelding Bingo Master by three and a quarter lengths with the I Am Invincible gelding Deception a further two and a half lengths back in third.
Another masterful pinhook by Riversley Park for $15,000 from the Rosemont Stud draft at the 2019 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale, Alqantur made $130,000 to the bid of Al Rashid Stables / Bevan Smith Bloodstock (BAFNZ) at the 2020 NZB Ready To Run Sale.
The Clinton McDonald-trained Demon Blood did not strike a blow on debut when seventh behind the talented Duchy Of Savoy at Sandown on January 5, but showed the experience woke him up with a convincing win over 1100m at Geelong on Sunday.
With Mark Zahra in the saddle, Demon Blood savaged the line to defeat the Pride Of Dubai filly Glamouring by a half-length with the Tivaci filly All She Wrote a further one and three-quarter lengths back in third.
Zahri believed the son of star Turn has a nice future.
“I was trying to get to the fence to help him, but I could not get across with Damian Thornton inside of me,” Zahra said.
“I was one out and one back, and he did come off the bridle a couple of times. I gave him a shake-up at the 600m to keep him focussed, and he went quick when I asked.
“He wanted to duck in when he got to the front, but the win was full of merit because he wanted to sit down in the last bit. When he saw the other thing, he went again.
“He is a beautiful type, and his manners were great, so very positive.”
Demon Blood was a $180,000 purchase by his trainer from the Esker Lodge draft at the 2020 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
He is the fifth winner from as many to race out of the unraced Taimazov (ARG) mare Loves Attention, a half-sister to champion stallion Written Tycoon.
Also, the dam of the stakes-placed Murt The Flirt and the $306,000 earner Divine Dice, Loves Attention has a 2yo filly by Merchant Navy and a yearling filly by Grunt.
