THE Godolphin-owned Astern put down a strong marker for his step up to Group 1 level this season with a gutsy win in the Group 2 Run To The Rose over 1,200 metres at Rosehill last Saturday.

The Medaglia D’Oro colt took on and beat the Star Witness colt Star Turn, an impressive winner of the San Domenico Stakes when lowering the colours of the Golden Slipper winner Capitalist. The pair fought out a thrilling finish with a head separating the pair as a three and a half-length margin opened up to the third placed Impending, a Lonhro colt also trained by John O’Shea for Godolphin.

Jockey James McDonald was glowing in his praise of the development of Astern, who was a seven-length 11th in the Golden Slipper. “It’s well documented I’ve loved that horse from the first start I rode him,” said McDonald. “He looks like an older horse, he’s just had a baby’s mind in older horse’s body and that’s changed. He’s turned into a man now. He owned that parade ring today. There’s no other horse I would want to be on. If you let them all go at a fight, there’d only be one winner.”

Astern is now favourite for the Group 1 Golden Rose on September 10th.