Galaxy Star gives Bob and Sandra Peters a third Railway Stakes win
On the same program their outstanding three-year-old filly Arcadia Queen (Pierro) captured the WA Guineas (Gr 2, 1600m) while five-year-old mare Mississippi Delta (High Chaparral) won Tattersalls Cup (Listed, 2100m).
Galaxy Star, a six-year-old mare, has been something of a late developer, only becoming a stakes winner at her previous start in the Asian Beau Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) but she now has the imposing record of 10 wins and three seconds from 13 starts.
Well back in the early stages in the 15-horse Railway Stakes field, Galaxy Star was given a masterly ride by Willy Pike to thread through her rivals to find the rail before easing out at the 200 metre mark then dashing clear to defeat second placed Gatting (Hard Spun) by a length and three-quarters with Material Man (Vital Equine) just another head away in third place. Race time was 1:34.08.
With four runners in the Railway the Peters had something of a mortgage on the race and a similar situation will apply on December 8 if, as expected, both Galaxy Star and Arcadia Queen back up in the Kingston Town Classic (Gr 1, 1800m).
In winning last Saturday the Grant and Alana Williams-trained Galaxy Star became the 34th Group 1 winner for her three times champion Australian sire Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) and the fifth individual Redoute’s Choice stakes winner bred and raced by the Peters while it should be noted that Redoute’s Choice also figures as maternal grandsire of Arcadia Queen whose mother Arcadia is a sister to two of those, Antique Belle and Broadway Belle. Redoute’s Choice is also sire of the Peters’ 2017 Western Australian Oaks (Gr 3, 2400m) winner Very Tempting, bought for them as a yearling by Belmont Bloodstock.
Sadly for the Peters, Galaxy Star’s dam Galaxy Queen (Jeune), a good winner in Perth up to 2200 metres, died in January, 2013 after leaving only two foals, the other her year older half-brother Galaxy Son (Statue Of Liberty), a winner of five races, four in Perth, up to 1700 metres.
Bred and owned by Mr and Mrs Peters, Galaxy Queen is a sister to Pinjarra Cup (Listed, 2300m) winner and WA Oaks second Star Encounter (Jeune) who has since proved an excellent producer for the Peters, leaving WATC Perth Cup (Gr 2, 2400m) winner Star Exhibit (Statue Of Liberty), also runner up in the BRC Doomben Cup (Gr 1, 2000m), and stakes winners Perfect Jewel (Redoute’s Choice) and Royal Star (Redoute’s Choice).
Galaxy Queen is one of six winners out of Perth winner Lady Ashford (Royal Academy), another of whose daughters, stakes-placed Favourite Star (More Than Ready), bred Perth stakes winner Enticing Star (Testa Rossa).
Lady Ashford is a sister to VATC Debutant Stakes (Listed, 900m) winner Spring Warrior (Royal Academy) and a half-sister to stakes-placed Test Fire (Testa Rossa), a good winner in Melbourne.
Springfire (Snippets), third dam of Galaxy Star and a four time winner in Melbourne over sprint distances, comes from a family regarded as equine royalty in Australia but more so in the United States as it traces back to the legendary La Troienne (Teddy), the greatest source of stakes winners in the United States since the 1930s.
Your writer had a good deal to do with Galaxy Star’s fourth dam Bravery (Zephyr Zip) who captured the Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) and Queensland Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) double in 1988.
Bravery is out of imported Front Stage (Prince Taj), a mare I bought for a small syndicate in 1981 when entrepreneur Brian Maher dispersed the holdings of Thoroughbred International Pty. Ltd, the then owner of what is now Emirates Park Stud in NSW.
While the original syndicate sold Bravery when she was still racing and she changed hands again early in her breeding career, this daughter of Zephyr Zip (Zephyr Bay) more than did her part in carrying on the qualities of the La Troienne family, producing stakes winner Brave Prince (Kenmare), Springfire and brilliant filly Valourina (Snippets) who became the dam of important winners and producers Media (Gilded Time) and Timbourina (Timber Country) as well as stakes winning sire Cardinal Virtue (Elusive Quality).
Galaxy Star, then, has all the credentials to become a very valuable broodmare for Bob and Sandra Peters and many of us will be interested to see which stallions are selected for matings.
She carries three lines of champion Nijinsky (Northern Dancer) and another two of his father Northern Dancer) plus doubles of Lunchtime (Silly Season) and Biscay (Star Kingdom) an two additional strains of La Troienne via the influential Buckpasser (Tom Fool) and Mr. Busher (War Admiral).