After rapidly-emerging Trade Fair stayer Fair Hunter stormed home to win the playeronline.com.au HANDICAP (2000m) at Belmont Park on June 23 young trainer Jason Miller immediately advised punters to ‘stick with him.’
Those who did were quickly rewarded when Fair Hunter made it two in a row taking the Westspeed Stayers’ Bonus over 2100m on Saturday (July 7) and returning a $6.20 winning dividend.
It was another super performance with Fair Hunter racing wide throughout under 57.5kg topweight and beating the in-form Verdello Blue and Boy Mambo by a half length.
Fair Hunter, bred by Mr Bernard Herrera, is from Orion Star, a winning daughter of Spinning World, who was bred in Kentucky by the Greek shipping magnate Stavros Niarchos and won at eight of 14 starts taking the Group 1 Irish Two Thousand Guineas, Prix Jacques Le Maroios, Prix du Moulin de Longchamp and US Breeders Cup Mile. He was champion Irish 3Y0 miler in 1996 and champion French older miler in 1997.
Orion Star’s dam, Pert Sallie, was bred in England and is a daughter of the remarkable Star Appeal.
Star Appeal was bred in Ireland by Germany’s Gestut Rottgen. He won at 11 of 39 starts taking the Grosser Preis der Badischen Wirtschaft-twice, the Frankfurt Pokal and Preis der Stadt Baden-Baden in German, the Eclipse Stakes in England and the Gran Premio di Milano in Italy before his greatest triumph.
That was when Star Appeal caused a major upset by becoming the first German-trained horse to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. He triumphed in a bumper 1975 renewal that included the champions Dahlia and Allez France.
Star Appeal was subsequently voted European Horse of the Year. His son, Star Way, became a major force in Australasian breeding when standing at Nelson Schick’s Windsor Park Stud in New Zealand.
Fair Hunter’s maternal line descends to the English Group 3 Molecomb Stakes winner, Pert Lassie, and includes Group/Listed winners Cheeky Trot, Dancer’s Choice, Naden, Catango, Chading, Perky Beau, Vagabond Boy, Madjic, Holy Grail, Clint and Pulcinella.
Fair Hunter, who has now won at five of 15 starts with stakes winnings approaching $100,000, only needs to maintain his present form to join this illustrious bunch.
Trade Fair completed a great weekend when No Uncertainty won the Lorenzo Jewellers Trophy (1300m) at Penang on Sunday (July 8) and Faretheewell took the James Hardie Australia Handicap (1600m) at Kalgoorlie.
No Uncertainty was bred by De Grey Park and Faretheewell by Mr Alan Young.
. Trade Fair now has 97 individual winners and is the best value stallion in WA.