Triple Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva has been booked to sire-of-the-moment Starspangledbanner this spring.
The mare’s owner Tony Santic bred Starspangledbanner who went on to win Group One races in Australia for a syndicate and in England after being bought by Coolmore.
A son of Choisir, Starspangledbanner proved to be sub fertile and was brought back to racing with little success.
But two recent Royal Ascot juvenile Group winners from a limited number of first season foals on the ground, has boosted his standing.
Victoria’s Rosemont Stud bought the stallion and proprietor Anthony Mithen said it had been a question of careful management to ensure he was not overtaxed and the mares he did serve, were at the optimum time of their cycles.
“Tony bred both Makybe Diva and Starspangledbanner and they have had such extraordinary lives to date that have seen them race around the world and earn international acclaim,” Mithen said.
“But here they are, now living on neighbouring properties in Geelong and with the chance to produce one of the most high profile foals the world has ever seen.
“It’s quite special really.”
Starspangledbanner has just 32 live two-year-olds in Europe and has around the same number of rising two-year-olds in Australia.
Last spring he managed to get 24 mares in foal from 51 served at Rosemont.
Rockstardom, the winner of two races, is the only one of Makybe Diva’s progeny so far to be successful on the track.
The 15-year-old mare failed to get in foal to Sepoy last year.
