The first reported Northern Hemisphere foal by Astern was born on January 10th at Lyn Burleson’s Burleson Farm. Bred by Jack Sims (McKenzie Bloodstock), the filly is out of the six-year-old mare Desperate Chick.
Lyn Burleson commented, “We are very excited about our Astern filly. She has Medaglia d’Oro written all over her.”
Darley nominations manager, Darren Fox, said, “We were already delighted with the early preview we received with Astern’s first Australian foals last fall, and if this first foal is any indication, we will be very pleased with his crop here as well.”
Astern, who raced in the royal blue silks of Godolphin, shuttles from Darley’s Kelvinside Farm in New South Wales, Australia. He will be standing his second year in 2019 at Darley’s Jonabell farm in Lexington, Kentucky.
Astern is the highest-rated son of leading stallion Medaglia d'Oro and is also rated the best-ever winner of the G1 Golden Rose, Australia’s top seven-furlong race for three-year-olds, and the Australian equivalent of Saratoga’s G1 Allen Jerkens.
During his juvenile campaign, he broke his maiden on debut and captured the G2 Silver Slipper Stakes at Rosehill and the G3 Kindergarten Stakes at Randwick. Astern returned in brilliant form at three to land both the G2 Run To The Rose and the aforementioned G1 Golden Rose at Rosehill. He also ran solid seconds in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington and the G2 Roman Consul at Randwick.
Astern, whose dam is by top international sire Exceed And Excel, is a half-sister to Alizee who has now recorded victories in the G1 Flight Stakes and the G1 Queen of the Turf Stakes, in addition to the two-year-old Tassort, the current favorite for the 2019 G1 Golden Slipper.
Astern retired with five wins from nine starts and earnings of AUS$1,179,550. His 126 Timeform rating makes him Medaglia d’Oro’s top-rated son in either hemisphere.
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