By Bren O'Brien
Group 1 winning mare Galaxy Star (Redoute's Choice) has been retired by her owner Bob Peters and will head to Coolmore's Triple Crown winning stallion Justify (USA) in his first season in Australia.
Galaxy Star ended her career on a high note with a narrow victory in the G3 Strickland S. at Belmont on Saturday, her fifth at stakes level and her 13th victory from 19 starts. She was never unplaced in a remarkably consistent career.
Trained by Grant and Alana Williams, the 6-year-old won the G1 Railway S. last November, giving her leviathan owner his third victory in the $1 million race. She also won the G3 Asian Beau S., the G2 Ten Van Heemst S. in that campaign before returning to win the G3 Belmont Sprint and the Strickland in a four-start winter campaign.
Grant Williams, Bob & Sandra Peters and Alana Williams
“I think she’s done a great job for us,” Peters told reporters after her win on Saturday.
“I made a decision when she came back in for these races that she had to win them and win them well. She’s only won two of the four."
“I made a decision when she came back in for these races that she had to win them and win them well." - Bob Peters
The West Australian confirmed on Sunday that Peters had retired the mare.
Her five stakes wins for the season puts her in elite company in Australian racing this season. The only other horses to win five or more stakes wins have been Winx (Street Cry {Ire}) (8), Avilius (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) (7), The Autumn Sun (Redoute's Choice) (5), Sunlight (Zoustar) (5) and Invincibella (I Am Invincible) (5).
Peters had mulled whether to continue on with her racing career, having already sent Arcadia Queen (Pierro) and Enticing Star (Testa Rossa) to Chris Waller with the riches of the Sydney Everest carnival in his sights.
Arcadia Queen had beaten Galaxy Star in the G1 Kingston Town S. to claim the top seed of the Peters' brigade, while Enticing Star went within a length of giving Peters a clean sweep of the Perth Group 1s when second in the G1 Winterbottom S.
Galaxy Star with regular jockey, William Pike
Galaxy Star hails from one of Peters' most successful families. Her dam, the five-time winner Galaxy Queen (Jeune {GB}) only had two foals, but she was out of the prolific and successful Lady Ashford (Royal Academy {USA}), who produced seven foals to the track, all of which were winners.
They include the stakes-winner Star Encounter (Jeune {GB}), who produced a trio of stakes winners herself in Star Exhibit (Statue of Liberty {USA}), Perfect Jewel (Redoute's Choice) and Royal Star (Redoute's Choice). Enticing Star is from one of Galaxy Queen's other half-sisters in Favourite Star (More Than Ready {USA}).
While Coolmore has spent significantly at the recent broodmare sales to support Justify in his Australian debut this season, it will be delighted to also have a mare of the pedigree and performance of Galaxy Star going to him in her first year.
Peters has forged a close association with Coolmore in recent years. Arcadia Queen, described by the man himself as perhaps his best-ever horse, is by Coolmore's star young stallion Pierro, while Peters sold several yearlings by Vancouver through this year's Easter Sale, including a filly out of Arcadia Queen's half-sister Arcadia Dream (Domesday) for $950,000 to Godolphin.
Meanwhile, Peters took seven horses to the Magic Millions Perth Winter Sale and sold two of them with unraced Royal Dream (Bernardini {USA}) fetching the top price of the day. Darling View Thoroughbreds paid $52.000 for the filly, who is out of Group 1 winner Dreamaway (More Than Ready {USA}).
Galaxy Star will be going to Triple Crown winner Justify this season
