Last of the Danehill Mares – A Good Read

Tara Madgwick - Monday Aug 11

Racenet’s Shayne O’Cass has stepped sideways from penning his usual racing stories in search of the next winner and has come up with a story about an exceptional broodmare.

23 year-old Starspangled (IRE) is believed to be the last active daughter of champion sire Danehill still at stud and the dam of Group I winners Youngstar and Funstar is expecting another foal this spring.

Starspangled (IRE) was bought for $30,000 at the 2014 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale.

Click here to read a great story about an amazing old girl, who has had 12 named foals, 10 to race eight winners.

Advertisement

Her G1 winning daughters Funstar and Youngstar are both now at stud in Japan having sold for $1.4million and $2.7million respectively.

She also has a G1 winning grand-daughter in Tofane, who was bought by Yulong for $3.1million, so it’s a family being given every chance on the world stage.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Doing Time Wins $100,000 Sprinters Challenge at Riccarton
Lee Callaway shared many jockeys’ rooms with Chris Johnson throughout his riding career, so it was only fitting that the Waikouaiti trainer took out the inaugural running of the Chris Johnson Three-Year-Old Sprinters Challenge (1200m) at Riccarton on Wednesday with Doing Time.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday November 10
Here is the full list of 16 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Racing Industry Mourns Much Loved Izzy Neale
The thoroughbred racing industry is devastated tonight following news that apprentice jockey Izzy Neale, aged 22, has tragically died as the result of a race fall at Warren on Sunday.
Remembering Northerly – The Greatest Caulfield Cup Winner This Century
It's Caulfield Cup week, and what better moment to revisit the life and times of one of the greatest - if not the greatest - Caulfield Cup winner of the modern era.
2027 Golden Slipper Entries – Sortable Sale Mail – Find Out More
The new season is nearly upon us and that means all over the country a new crop of rising two year-olds are taking baby steps in the best stables in the land with the Australian Turf Club announcing this week they had received 1881 entries for the 2027 Golden Slipper, so who is in the race?
Haras d'Etreham Set Fee for Hotazhell
Triple Group I winner Hotazhell will begin his stallion career at Haras d'Etreham in France at a fee of €15,000 next year before then shuttling to Widden Stud in Australia.
G1 Aussie Pedigree Watch –Newly Minted
Pedigree does matter if you want to be winning races longer than 1200m, although in an interesting twist a colt bred on face value for speed is in fact from the family of Zabeel.
Remembering Sunline – The Queen of the Cox Plate Before Winx
From our vantage point in 2026, we can look back at modern Cox Plate history and marvel at how quickly the years are passing.
Sires With Winners - Monday November 9
Here is the full list of 20 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Manzor Blue Heads to Sandown Cup
Palmerston North mare Manzor Blue claimed valuable Australian black type when runner-up in the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington on Saturday, and she will now try to go one better in the Listed Sandown Cup (3200m) later this month.