LOOK TO THE STARS RETURNS TO FORM ADDING ANOTHER STAKES WIN FOR DARBY & VANDYKE TEAM
What a fantastic result to see highly talented Group 2 and Group 1 placed filly as a 2YO return to form today winning the Listed Princess Stakes over 1600m at the Sunshine Coast today.
Trainer David Vandyke, who won the Group I ATC Sires' Produce Stakes with Yankee Rose during the Sydney autumn carnival, has six horses at his new Caloundra base.
"Those six are my winter carnival horses and then I will have 15 by the end of July. I have 32 boxes and it will be a matter of filling them," Vandyke said.
"Wins like today are great because it was for Darby Racing who have supported me in my move here and it was my first runner from my new stable."
Look To the Stars was backed from $4 in $2.50 and justified the confidence when she beat Queen Of Wands ($2.50) by a short neck with Sahara Siren ($101) a length back in third place.
The filly won Group II BRC Sires' Produce Stakes and ran third in the Group I JJ Atkins Stakes last year when trained by Clarry Conners.
"It is great to get her back somewhere near that form. From here we will head to the Doomben Roses in a three weeks and then hopefully the Queensland Oaks," Vandyke said.
Winning jockey Blake Spriggs said it had been a brave effort because Look To The Stars had hit the lead in the straight and had been a sitting shot for the rest of the field.
Look To The Stars just didn't come back well in the spring after her stellar winter last year and after 2 poor performances it was decided to give the daughter of I Am Invincible a good long spell and return in the Autumn. In that time Darby Racing also parted ways with trainer Clarry Conners, with David Vandyke taking over the training.
With 2 solid lead up runs this time in, the plan was hatched to send Look To The Stars up to QLD where she had performed so well in the winter last year, to tackle the lead ups to the QLD Oaks and all going well, to tackle the Group 1 event over 2400m in early June.
Today's tough win over the mile suggests that 2000m next up in the Group 2 Doomben Roses shouldn't pose a problem and should give a good indication on how she may run the longer Oaks journey.
Congratulations to all her owners - A Group 2 winner and Group 1 placed as a 2YO and now a Listed Stakes winner as a 3YO. Look To The Stars has been a sensational money spinner costing only $26,000 at the Scone Inglis Yearling sales.