Star Of Justice (AUS)
3 f Justify – Fair Isle by Fastnet Rock
O: Te Akau Fair & Just Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM)
B: PJ & PM Vela
T: Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson
S: 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale V: Pencarrow Stud P: David Ellis, $190,000
W: Canterbury Westland Racing Owners Association Maiden, 1200m, September 16, Riccarton
Te Akau Racing may have unearthed another New Zealand 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) contender through impressive maiden scorer Star Of Justice (Justify) as the leading ownership group seek to claw back a title they won in 2020 and 2021.
Star Of Justice, a first-crop daughter of Coolmore’s Australian champion freshman sire Justify (Scat Daddy), had been sent south by trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson in a bid for the filly to showcase her Classic credentials ahead of November’s Guineas, tasking her with a 1200-metre maiden contest at Riccarton last Saturday.
Ridden by Warren Kennedy, Star Of Justice duly obliged, routing her opposition by a facile three and three-quarter lengths with an unmoved Kennedy surveying his surroundings in search of distant rivals.
It was sharp against the clock, too. Having been well beaten on debut on a heavy Awapuni track last month, Star Of Justice relished the Good 3 conditions at Riccarton, posting 1:09.21 for the 1200-metre journey.
It was a performance that left both Walker and Bergerson in no doubt as to her above–average ability.
“Warren controlled the race in front and the filly was really impressive in blinkers,” Bergerson said. “She’d worked well in them leading into it and we were quietly confident she was going to run a really good race.
“We’ve always really liked her and we think she is certainly progressive over more ground. It’s a nice springboard for her spring campaign.”
Uniquely bred, Star Of Justice has a pedigree befitting a Classic contender. She is the fourth foal out of winning Fastnet Rock (Danehill) mare Fair Isle, who is herself a daughter of Listed winner and VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m) runner-up Miss Scarlatti (Stravinsky), with Te Akau encouraged by the ability of the filly’s five-time winning half-brother Stonybreck (Tavistock), who Ellis purchased for just $20,000 a year earlier.
Although commanding the dearer sum of $190,000, Fair Isle’s mating with US Triple Crown winner Justify sees Star Of Justice bred on a similar cross to Te Akau’s Group 2 winner Need I Say More (No Nay Never), while it has also produced a cross of English Triple Crown winner Nijinsky (Northern Dancer).
Fair Isle, who was bred by Sir Peter Vela’s Pencarrow Stud and purchased for $700,000 by Coolmore’s Tom Magnier as a yearling in 2014, has produced a weanling sister to Star Of Justice and was last year paired with So You Think (High Chaparral) on a December cover.