Written by Lydia Symonds
Well-related filly Fast Star (Zoustar) got her career off to the perfect start when she produced an impressive performance to shrug off her maiden status with consummate ease at Echuca on Friday.
The rising 3-year-old filly’s first competitive trip to a racetrack had garnered more attention than your average Friday maiden, no doubt due to the exploits of her famous half-brother, multiple Group 1-winning sprinter Santa Ana Lane (Lope De Vega {Ire}).
However, that scrutiny didn’t seem to bother the Troy and Leon Cortens-trained juvenile who passed her first test with flying colours when scurrying away with a 2.8l victory over Redneck Rum (Starspangledbanner).
The filly was bred by Bromfield Park’s Bill Pearce, who retained a share in her when she was purchased by the Corstens for $500,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale in 2021 and he told TDN AusNZ that he was pleased to see her break her maiden with minimal fuss on Friday, despite having no luck in running.
“They (Corstens) were toying with the idea of going to South Australia on Saturday for a city-class race, but they were a little concerned that might have been a little bit too short for her,” said Pearce.
Fast Star as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
“Craig Williams rode her at Flemington in a trial about a fortnight ago and said he thought she was a 1200-metre plus filly and that is why they elected this race for her, which turns out to have been the right decision.”
Pearce said there were a few things that would have been against the filly on Friday, so he was even encouraged with her debut performance.
“She got a pretty severe check today (Friday) on ground that I didn’t think was all that conducive because it was pretty heavy and she has such a good action that I think she will be better on top of the ground,” he said.
“I did see her a couple of weeks ago and I did think she would make a really nice filly in the autumn. It will be interesting to see what they (Corstens) do with her, but I would imagine they will look after her because I think they have a pretty good opinion of her.”
Chris and Bill Pearce | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Pearce added the filly's dam, Fast Fleet, to his broodmare band in 2019, teaming up with Willow Park’s Glenn Burrows to purchase the winning Fastnet Rock mare at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale and she was carrying the daughter of Zoustar in utero at the time.
While there was plenty of interest surrounding her debut on Friday, Pearce said attention was the one thing she was perhaps lacking when she was sold through Burrows’ Willow Park draft at the Inglis Easter Sale last year.
“I think at the yearling sales, people were a little bit critical that she didn’t have a big back end, however she had this massive shoulder and deep girth,” Pearce recalled. “I really liked her from the time she was born, but I think a lot of people were a bit concerned about the strength in the back end despite her unbelievable front end.
“She was exceptionally correct and there was nothing on the x-rays and I think, had she had that big back end on her she might have made more than $500,000. When they bought the filly, they rang me and asked me to keep a share and I said: ‘I love the filly, I’ll keep 25 per cent of her.’”
“When they bought the filly (Fast Star), they rang me and asked me to keep a share and I said: ‘I love the filly, I’ll keep 25 per cent of her.’” - Bill Pearce
Burrows echoed Pearce’s sentiments and believed the fact her frame showed she would need time meant buyers were overly and unfairly critical of her at the sale.
“She was a nice filly, but she was a little bit on the backwards side. She wasn’t going to be an early 2-year-old, but everything was in the right spot and I really respect Troy Corstens as a judge of yearlings and also as a trainer,” Burrows told TDN AusNZ.
“It was amazing how many people dropped off her and I thought they were being a bit harsh, but Troy stood firm and secured her. She was probably lacking a bit of hip as a yearling, but I think she has proven today (Friday) what she has, she has enough of.”
Fast Star after winning at Echuca
Burrows said he was happy to see he and Pearce’s faith in the filly pay off and believes there will be more to come from her as she enters her 3-year-old season on Monday.
“She just needed that bit of time to strengthen up; she always had the frame there and obviously they have given her that time, but she was impressive today (Friday),” Burrows said. “I was impressed with her manners in the parade and she settled terrifically in the run. She was forced a bit wide, to find the line as well as she did and in the end she treated them with a bit of contempt and it was pretty impressive.”
Santa Ana Lane, whose career resulted in 10 victories, half of those coming at Group 1 level, and he and Fast Star are two of three winners produced by Fast Fleet, with the other being dual winner The Black Tide (Kuroshio).
“She (Fast Star) just needed that bit of time to strengthen up; she always had the frame there and obviously they have given her that time, but she was impressive today (Friday).” - Glenn Burrows
Meanwhile, the mare handed Pearce another good result earlier this year when her colt yearling by I Am Invincible sold to Ciaron Maher Bloodstock for $500,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, but he unfortunately missed the boat in trying to secure a share in the colt.
“I sold the colt this year and Ciaron Maher and David Eustace bought him off me and he was a lovely colt. He is going to be a big colt and is probably not going to be a 2-year-old,” he explained.
“I endeavoured to keep a slice of him after Ciaron had bought him and rang up the office and they said: ‘I’m sorry Mr Pearce there is nothing available, it’s all sold.’”
The I Am Invincible x Fast Fleet colt sold who sold at this year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $500,000 | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
As for Fast Fleet herself, she is expecting a foal by Yulong’s former Champion sire Written Tycoon this spring and will likely be covered by Darley’s superfast, multiple Group 1-winning shuttler Pinatubo (Ire), who, like Santa Ana Lane’s Sire Lope De Vega (Ire), is by Shamardal (USA), meaning the resulting foal will be a three-quarter brother to the former star of the track.
