Shystar is an Emerging Star at Ballarat races

AIt was a heartfelt win for Shae Dinunzio at Ballarat as he greeted Shystar returning victorious from a lucrative restricted race, only hours after hearing of the death of his first employer, trainer Paul Beshara.

Dinunzio started his racing journey under Beshara in Adelaide before moving to Victoria, where he now serves as assistant trainer to Phillip Stokes at Pakenham.

Beshara is best remembered for Happy Trails, the Flemington specialist who captured three Group 1 titles.

On Saturday, Dinunzio saddled up Shystar for the Stokes yard in the $250,000 Sportsbet Emerging Stars (1400m), and the filly delivered in emotional circumstances.

“It’s been a bit of a tough day,” Dinunzio said.

“We lost Paul Beshara today and our thoughts go out to Collette and the family.

“He was a great man to me. He got me into racing and was my first boss and I reckon he might have willed that over the line in the last 50 (metres).”

Shystar ($3.10) controlled the race from the front under Lachlan Neindorf, clinging on to defeat the $3 bookies favourite Royal Flare, with Golden Spritz ($17) close behind.

Dinunzio revealed Stokes had identified the Emerging Stars Series as her main target for this preparation.

“We picked out one of the heats at Geelong and she won well there,” he said.

“She’s a promising filly but the question mark was the soft track and probably 1400 metres.

“It’s probably not her sweet spot, 1200 metres probably is, but it was the perfect race for her, very suitable.”

The stable is keeping expectations measured as she continues to develop.

“We’ll just go through our grades but she’s probably a Stakes grade Adelaide filly in the autumn, so we’ve just got to plot a path to get there,” Dinunzio said.

Punters can assess Shystar’s future markets via Australia’s leading betting sites.