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Sprint champion and subfertile stallion Starspangledbanner (Aus) (Choisir {Aus}), whose intended visit to Coolmore in Ireland this year was derailed by injury, got 16 mares in foal on Northern Hemisphere time in Australia this year, according to Racing Post. Anthony Mithen, owner of Rosemont Stud where the chestnut stands, deemed Starspangledbanner's strike rate a success.
“He covered 32 mares and ended up with 16 in foal, so 50% spot-on, which we were really happy with,” Mithen told the trade daily.
Mithen noted that some of those mares would travel to Europe to be sold at the breeding stock sales later this year.
Starspangledbanner's first European crop included last year's G1 Prix Morny victor The Wow Signal (Ire) as well as G2 Queen Mary S. winner Anthem Alexander (Ire) and last weekend's G3 Minstrel S. scorer Home of the Brave (Ire), and his first Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds this year included G3 Blue Diamond Prelude winner Of The Brave (Aus). Starspangledbanner is expected to cover 80 to 90 mares during the upcoming Southern Hemisphere breeding season, including three-time G1 Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva (GB) (Desert King {Ire}) and a sister to Black Caviar (Aus) (Bel Esprit {Aus}).
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