Pins Filly Flys On Debut

A successful WS family was to the fore at Ruakaka this afternoon when the well-related Shanstar delivered at the first time of asking. The Garry Chittick-bred filly was on debut for Pukekohe trainer Richard Collett and mounted a sustained finish in the straight under leading jockey Leith Innes to add another notch to the family belt.

A daughter of Pins, the three-year-old is out of the unraced O’Reilly mare Bling who is a sister to the Group performed Irish Nova. The second dam Night Star (Centaine) has produced four winners including the Listed Eagle Farm Stakes winner Plaudits (Danasinga) and is herself a sister to the Gr 3 Gold Trail and Lowland Stakes winner Starcent who was also the Gr 1 runner-up in the NZ 1000 Guineas and Bayer Classic.

She also distinguished herself at stud as the dam of multiple winner and Gr 1 performer Ambitious (Last Tycoon). The pedigree also features the Gr 2 Expressway, Shannon Quality and Peter Pan Stakes winner Sportsman and the Gr 2 Tea Rose Stakes winner Prisoner Of Love.

Shanstar was purchased by Collett out of WS’s 2009 Premier Sale line-up for $60,000 on behalf of the Shand brothers who have been long-time clients of the stable. The filly had hinted at her ability by placing at both her trial outings before her debut performance at Ruakaka.