More Big-Race Glory For Bloom And McAleavy As Santorini Star Wins The Park Hill

Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy's purple patch continued at Doncaster on Thursday as Santorini Star (Golden Horn) proved strongest in the G2 Park Hill Stakes over the St Leger trip. In front from the outset under Tom Marquand, the 7-2 second favourite who had captured a handicap at York's recent Ebor Festival outstayed the year-younger Consent (Lope De Vega) in the closing stages to prevail by a neck.

“She won over two miles at York and the fact that she stays so well is what has won her the race,” Maureen Haggas said of the four-year-old. “She's really tough and Tom gave her a beautiful ride. We gave her a break in the summer and she seems to have come back a changed woman! She's going to be a broodmare for Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy, who are top-class people with top-class advisors so this was really important.”

Santorini Star, whose winning handicap sequence had been interjected by fourth placings in the Listed Pontefract Castle Fillies' Stakes and G3 Stanerra Stakes, adds to the recent high-profile wins for the owners with the fillies Venetian Sun and Sky Majesty. “It's a Group 2 win now and I don't know what plans William might have for her for the rest of the year, but certainly you'd like to think she could turn into a Cup filly next year over two miles because she stays so well,” Tony Bloom's racing manager Sean Graham said. “Tom was very complimentary about her, he said she kept finding, put her head down and didn't stop and that's what you need.”

Gutsy!

Santorini Star grinds it out to score in the Group 2 @Betfred Park Hill Fillies' Stakes under @TomMarquand!

A first win in the race for @WilliamHaggas 🥇 pic.twitter.com/fT14TNUeW6

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) September 11, 2025

Pedigree Notes
Santorini Star's Listed-winning dam Livia's Dream is responsible for the speedier Dreamloper, the daughter of Lope De Vega who captured the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, Prix d'Ispahan and Dahlia Stakes during her fruitful career. A half to the dam of the Group 3 winner Marquisat (Zarak) and Listed-winning Luisa Casati (Vadamos), she hails from the family of the Oaks heroine Talent (New Approach) which also features another notable Zarak in the GII Saratoga Oaks Invitational winner Laurelin. Her yearling full-sister to the winner sells at the upcoming Tattersalls October Book 1.