Sea The Stars breaks new ground with first Group 1 winner in Australia

Gilltown Stud resident Sea The Stars broke new ground on Saturday when Shraaoh won the Sydney Cup at Randwick to become his first Group 1 winner in Australia and tenth overall.

The Chris Waller-trained import pulled clear together with Vengeur Masque at the final 200-metre mark of the two-mile contest, before asserting his lead under a strong drive from Jay Ford.

Bred in Ireland by the Tsui family's Sunderland Holdings, Shraaoh is a full brother to Bahrain Trophy winner Raheen House out of the Monsun mare Jumooh, a half-sister to the Queen Mary Stakes scorer and Classic-placed Maqaasid.

Shraaoh's third dam is the esteemed broodmare Sarayir, dam of Group 1 talents Ghanaati, Mawatheeq and Rumoush.

Shraaoh is the second elite winner bred on the Sea The Stars-Monsun cross, along with runaway Deutches Derby hero and second-season sire Sea The Moon, who is out of Sanwa.

Monsun, noted as a stout influence for stamina, is also the sire of Vengeur Masque, as well as three Melbourne Cup winners over the Sydney Cup trip in Fiorente, Protectionist and Almandin.

Sea The Stars' nine other top-flight scorers have all come in Europe, where Shraaoh started off in the care of Sir Michael Stoute and later Harry Fry.

Shraaoh was originally raced by Al Shaqab Racing, having been bought by Peter and Ross Doyle for 175,000gns from Mount Coote Stud at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Sale.

Stephen Hillen went to 30,000gns to secure him in the same sales ring three years later, which saw him transferred to the yard of Harry Fry.

The six-year-old gelding won on his first start for Chris Waller last November, and went on to place in a further three stakes races before Saturday's big win.

Sea The Stars has made good inroads in Australia, having sired 11 winners from 16 runners.

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