At her career debut in a 10-furlong maiden at Sandown back on April 24 1992, the 25/1 outsider User Friendly, thrashed the favoured pair of Juddmonte Farm’s royally-bred Shirly Valentine and Godolphin’s sensationally-related Nijinsky filly Jood but few would have foreseen the impact those three would have on the breed.
A half-sister to Warning, Commander In Chief, Yashmak, Dushyantor and Jibe out of that champion broodmare Slightly Dangerous, Shirly Valentine went on to a successful broodmare career as the dam of six stakes horses including the Group winners Memorise and Multiplex.
Jood could also boast some notable relations being a half-sister to Grade 1 winners Gorgeous, Seaside Attraction and Key To The Moon out of the Champion 3yr old filly in Canada in 1979, Kamar.
Like Shirly Valentine, Jood distinguished herself at stud leaving two stakes-winner including the champion Fantastic Light. Closer to home, Jood is the granddam of Group II Todman Stakes winner Tarquin and great granddam of Widden Stud’s Group 1 BTC Cup winner Your Song.
Neither Shirley Valentine nor Jibe went on to distinguish themselves on the racetrack, but User Friendly went from strength to strength, reeling off wins in the Listed Oaks Trial at Lingfield, Group 1 Epsom Oaks, Group 1 Irish Oaks, Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks and the Group 1 St Leger.
The daughter of Slip Anchor met defeat for the first time in Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe where she finished second to Subotica but her three-year-old season was not yet over. She was sent to Tokyo for the Japan Cup, finishing sixth to Tokai Teio.
At four, User-Friendly added the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud at Saint-Cloud. Although she was competitive at the top level, she was nowhere near as dominant as she was at three.
At stud, User Friendly could not match the deeds of Shirley Valentine or Jood.
Ten of her eleven foals reached the track with eight winners headed by the Group III winner Downtown (Danehill) and the Group III Queen’s Vase runner-up Two Miles West.
It’s Downtown’s sister Starspangled (IRE) who has elevated the family to another level in recent years.
The winner of a mile and a half maiden ay Cork from six starts, Starspangled (IRE) was put in foal to Galileo to southern hemisphere time and was shipped off by Coolmore to Australia.
She subsequently foaled a Galileo filly that was consigned to the 2010 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale where she was knocked down to Dermot Farrington Bloodstock for $110,000.
Named Baggy Green, she was sent to Guy Walter for whom she won a 1600 maiden a Goulburn. Baggy Green was back in the ring at the 2013 Inglis Australian Bloodstock Sale where she was purchased by Gordon Cunningham for just $23,000.
It proved money well spent as Baggy Green is the dam of the top-class Ocean Park mare Tofane who has a pair of Group III wins to her credit and most recently was an honourable seventh in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington.
A year after Baggy Green went through the ring, her dam Starspangled (IRE) was sold at the same sale where she was purchased for $30,000 by John North’s Bowness Stud on behalf of Young residents Jack and Karen Sheather.
At the time of the sale Starspangled (IRE) had two runners with Baggy Green being her only winner. But it still looked good buying considering she carried a positive test to High Chaparral (IRE) who stood at a fee of $77,000 when he covered Starspangled (IRE).
It looked even better when the High Chaparral (IRE) filly she was carrying sold to Anton Koolman Bloodstock for $200,000 at the 2016 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Arthur and Charlotte Inglis and Charlotte sister, Jan, took a major stake in the filly and the Sheather’s retained an interest.
Named Youngstar and sent to Chris Waller, the daughter of High Chaparral (IRE) has banked over a $1 million in a career that has seen her win the Group 1 BRC Queensland Oaks and Group II Doomben Roses and she ran her world-famous stablemate Winx to a length in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington.
Two year’s after the sale of Youngstar, Bowness Stud consigned Starspangled’s filly from the first crop of Galileo’s WS Cox Plate hero Adelaide (IRE) to the 2018 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
No surprise that she was snapped up by Anton Koolman Bloodstock for $80,000 and races in similar interests to Youngstar.
Named Funstar, the daughter of Adelaide has been a star from day one. She has four wins and two seconds from her six starts to date highlighted by wins in the Group 1 ATC Flight Stakes and Group II ATC Tea Rose Stakes.
In both those wins she defeated the star kiwi filly Probabeel who gained her revenge in the Group 1 ATC Surround Stakes at Randwick at their most recent start.
Round four of the rivalry takes place on Saturday in the Group II Phar Lap Stakes at Rosehill where they will take on the colts and geldings over 1500 metres.
There is still plenty to look forward to from Starspangled (IRE). She has a 2yo colt by Dissident who failed to make his $100,000 reserve at the 2019 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, and a colt foal by Pierro.
She was covered by Adelaide (IRE) again last spring.
