A good-looking field of new season three-year-olds contested the 1200m maiden plate at Wyong on Thursday, and with three of the six starters, Deep Field had the odds stacked in his favour.
All the money was for the Deep Field debutant Fire Star who had impressed in four barrier trials.
Ridden by Tommy Sherry for Peter and Paul Snowden, the son of Deep Field made all the running to hold off the fast-finishing Savabeel gelding Gold Bullion by a short head.
Gold Bullion raced in the China Horse Club colours for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, as did third-placed Deep Field gelding Solar System, who was three and a half lengths behind his stablemate after making the winner work in the early stages.
Fire Star is a homebred for Kia Ora Stud and Steve McCann’s Encompass International.
The son of Deep Field was in the Kia Ora Stud draft at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, where he failed to find a buyer to meet his $150,000 reserve.
Fire Star is the second live foal and first to race for the former top-class, Lee Hope-trained mare Sabatini.
The daughter of Street Cry (IRE) numbered the Group II MRC Angus Armanasco Stakes, Group III Quezette Stakes, and Group III Kevin Hayes Stakes among her five wins and was third in the Group 1 1000 Guineas.
Kia Ora purchased Sabatini for $850,000 when consigned by Coolmore as part of the Alpara Lodge Breeding Stock Dispersal at the 2018 National Broodmare Sale.
Sabatini has a weanling filly by Prague and was covered by Kia Ora Stud’s son of Redoute’s Choice last season.
Sadly, Deep Field’s declining fertility caught up to him at the height of his popularity, and he was withdrawn from the Newgate Farm roster. He hands the baton to his gifted son Cosmic Force who has been well-supported in his first three seasons.
