Victorian four year old Malaguerra continued on his winning way, scoring his fourth win on the trot in the Group 3 $150,000 Star Kingdom Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill today.

Malaguerra will head to Brisbane for the Stradbroke Handicap after winning the Star Kingdom Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.

The Lee and Anthony Freedman trained Malaguerra was sent out the $2.90 favourite and while the punters were worried when he was held up for a run in the straight, there was never any concern once Blake Shinn pushed him up along the fence.

Shinn sat patiently behind the leader Coolring ($5.50) in the straight hoping the run would come and when the leader moved out a horse and a half at the 250m, Malaguerra accelerated though the gap to go on to score a convincing one and a quarter length win.

Runner up Target In Sight ($9) ran on strongly and the well supported Coolring battled on bravely to hang on for third.

Lee Freedman said that Malaguerra will head to Brisbane for the Group 1 $2m Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 11 but he is toying with the idea of running him in the Group 1 $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 2, the first day of ‘The Championships’.

“The plan is the Stradbroke, whether he runs here, I will just see how he feels. I might even have a look at the T J Smith,” Lee Freedman said.

“He is a very good young horse in form.”

Malaguerra sweatad up badly before the race but Freedman wasn’t concerned as he has down that before.

“It is not unusual to see him like that. He sweated a bit more today, but that is the humidity, he is not used to that in Melbourne.”

“He will become more accustomed to it, he will get better.”

“He is a bulldog. Once he gets at them he get his head down, and lowers himself. He is a very very nice horse.”

Star Kingdom Stakes Results