Starspangledbanner will re-join the Coolmore Australia roster this season, returning at a fee of $33,000 (inc GST). The news was announced by Coolmore after a thread of excellent results for the son of Choisir around the world.
Across 2022, Starspangledbanner sired the winners of four Group 1 races around the world. They included the Irish-bred California Spangle (Ire), who defeated Golden Sixty (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) in the G1 Hong Kong Mile in December, as well as the American filly Rhea Moon (Ire), a winner of the G1 American Oaks at Santa Anita.
California Spangle (Ire) (red cap) and Golden Sixty (yellow cap) | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
At Royal Ascot, State Of Rest (Ire) duplicated his Cox Plate-winning goods to lead home the G1 Prince Of Wales’s S., while the smart filly Aristia (Ire), trained by Richard Hannon, won the G1 Prix Jean Romanet.
Each of these has put 16-year-old Starspangledbanner back on the boil, a horse that first entered stud in Australia in 2011.
“We thought there was a gap in the market for a proven stallion at a value fee,” said Tom Moore, who heads Coolmore’s marketing and nominations.
“We thought there was a gap in the market for a proven stallion at a value fee.” - Tom Moore
“Starspangledbanner has proven over a number of seasons throughout the world that he is an elite stallion, and that combined with how well he is travelling with both his progeny in Hong Kong and his yearlings in the commercial market this year in Australia, we thought he represented a great opportunity to offer to breeders once again.”
“Starspangledbanner has proven over a number of seasons throughout the world that he is an elite stallion...” - Tom Moore
Starspangledbanner didn’t shuttle to Australia last spring. He remained at Castlehyde Stud, Coolmore’s base in County Cork. The chestnut stallion stands for €50,000 in Ireland, which equates to just over AU$80,000. It makes his $33,000 figure this spring very attractive.
“The perception of this horse is very positive right now,” Moore said. “We are very excited to have him back in Australia for the season off the back of covering a quality books of mares in Ireland.”
The Choisir sireline
Starspangledbanner has been a force for his sire Choisir, not only as a sire son but as a racetrack performer too.
Few will forget his career that included victories in the G1 Caulfield Guineas and G1 Oakleigh Plate in Australia, then the G1 Golden Jubilee S. at Royal Ascot in 2010, backed up by the G1 July Cup shortly after.
Starspangledbanner winning the G1 Caulfield Guineas | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Without argument, Starspangledbanner was one of the best-performing sons of Choisir on the track, and he is certainly one of Choisir’s best-performing sons at stud.
The horse is currently at 28 stakes winners worldwide, seven of these emerging in Australia, eight in the United Kingdom, seven in Ireland and a further six in America. His Group 1 winners total six in five different countries, four emerging in the last 12 months.
However, via Proisir’s emergence this year, the Choisir sireline has had a second wind. Proisir has sired five individual Group 1 winners this season alone, one of the world’s best marks in that category, and Moore acknowledged that this was all good energy for Starspangledbanner’s return.
Choisir
“Choisir was a stallion of great significance to Coolmore Australia over a long period of time,” he said. “He’s now very much a proven sire of sires through the deeds of Starpangledbanner and Proisir, and it continues to give weight to what an important stallion Choisir has been. And not only in Australia, but also Europe, America and now New Zealand.
“Both Starspangledbanner and Choisir raced and excelled at the highest level in both hemispheres and they’re both extremely effective sires in both hemispheres.”
The line will continue with new topicality as Starspangledbanner’s Irish son, State Of Rest, heads to Newgate Farm this upcoming spring. He will stand for $44,000 (inc GST).
“Choisir was a stallion of great significance to Coolmore Australia over a long period of time. He’s now very much a proven sire of sires through the deeds of Starpangledbanner and Proisir...” - Tom Moore
Rising 17 now, Starspangledbanner is a vintage shuttler. He has been carefully managed to handle his dual books in both hemispheres.
“He’s an experienced traveller now,” Moore said. “He’s travelled to and from Australia many times and we’re looking forward to welcoming him back to Jerrys Plains where’ll be met with strong demand. His global appeal is really going from strength to strength off the back of those four Group 1 winners.”
His best year ever?
While track results are one of the factors behind Starspangledbanner returning to Coolmore Australia, another is his strong yearling returns this year.
In March, at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in Melbourne, the stallion had the second-most expensive colt of the sale when Lot 515, a Rosemont-offered youngster from the Lonhro mare Kylix, made $560,000 when selling to Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA).
Lot 515 - Starspangledbanner x Kylix (colt) who was purchased by Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) for $560,000 | Image courtesy of Inglis
Across all Australian yearling sales in 2023, Starspangledbanner has averaged $157,888, which is his best ever. The closest to this figure was in 2016 when he posted an average of $147,083. His 2023 yearling stock has grossed over $2.8 million, which is also well in excess of any previous years with 20 offered and 18 sold.
“His yearlings have averaged about $160,000 this year,” Moore said. “When you take his progeny to the sales, the trainers want to buy them and, obviously, the Hong Kong market is attracted to them. He is a top-class proven sire and we felt there was a gap in the market for a stallion like him in this price bracket.”
“When you take his (Starspangledbanner's) progeny to the sales, the trainers want to buy them and, obviously, the Hong Kong market is attracted to them. He is a top-class proven sire and we felt there was a gap in the market for a stallion like him in this price bracket.” - Tom Moore
In Hong Kong right now, Starspangledbanner sits behind only Deep Field on the General Sires’ table. His top earner is California Spangle, but his 10 Hong Kong winners from just 16 starters have netted just shy of HK$50 million (AU$9.5 million).
He is also the only shuttler among the top five of Hong Kong stallions right now, the others being based in Australia (Deep Field, All Too Hard and Sweynesse) and Ireland (Acclamation {GB}).
At $33,000, Starspanglebanner is priced well, particularly against his Northern Hemisphere service fee. It is a competitive price point, but at that amount of money, he is unique with his international credentials.
Starspangledbanner | Standing at Coolmore
“Australian breeders can really benefit from breeding to a horse like this with his global appeal and at such an attractive fee,” Moore said. “His appeal is huge at the moment, and with his yearling returns as high as they’ve ever been since he’s had yearlings offered, we’re bringing him back at a point where he’s never been more commercially viable. We think he can only continue to go from strength to strength.”
