Latest news with #WestStar
West Australian
23-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Bustler back in career-best form and ready to rumble first-up in Belmont Sprint
Group 1 winner Bustler will be out to show his trial form has been no fluke in the Group 3 $200,000 Swan Draught Belmont Sprint (1400m), lining up a $7 third elect in the first big race of the wet track's season. The five-year-old excited his fans when cruising to a comfortable success at an Ascot trials session almost two weeks ago, beating handy rivals including stablemate and subsequent Lark Hill heat winner September Born. His jockey, Steve Parnham, says the gelding has regained career-best form and is in rude health ahead of Saturday's clash. 'He's showing that he's near his best that won the Railway a couple of years ago,' Parnham told TABradio. 'His trackwork has been as good as back then, and his trials have been even better. 'He was quite sharp in the trial with his blinkers on, so I'd expect him to jump out as he did and put himself in a prominent spot. Some cover behind the speed would be nice, but he's a pretty adaptable horse.' Bustler sat sixth in a field of 16 to win the 2023 Railway Stakes, the closest he has positioned relative to the lead in any of his wins excepting his debut. Three-year-old tyro West Star is the $2.80 TABtouch favourite after scooting away with the Northam Stakes on May 11. He leads 2021 Railway winner Western Empire at $4.60, with Stephen Miller's Magnificent Andy - a Northam runner-up to West Star - at $9. 'He's one of those horses that does his best all the time and is not far off them in those big races,' Miller said. 'I feel that his ultimate (distance) is the 1400m, but I would have preferred barrier six or something like that. 'The horse is fit and well. He'll run well.' + Proven performers Antino and Pride Of Jenni share $3.60 favouritism for the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) in Queensland. Antino routed his Hollindale Stakes rivals two weeks ago, sustaining a steamrolling run to pulverise his rivals by three and a half lengths. Pride Of Jenni, who was retired last year after a Cantala Stakes failure, has won two easier races this preparation which were split by another disappointment in the Australian Cup. + Victorian chaser Giacomo, unbeaten in four WA runs, will start favourite for the Group 2 WA Derby (520m) at Cannington. The $2.80 favourite won the Mandurah Derby three weeks ago in a brilliant 27.10 seconds before turning his attention to the series. Echoes Of Dad ($3.60) - the least experienced runner in the field - is next in betting ahead of Junk Yard Clyde ($4.60), who was the fastest qualifier in 29.47 seconds last week.
Associated Press
22-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
KKR Leads Financing for Greenbriar's Acquisition of West Star Aviation
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 22, 2025-- KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announced that credit funds and accounts managed by KKR served as lead investors on a debt financing for Greenbriar Equity Group's acquisition of West Star Aviation ('West Star' or the 'Company'). Since its founding in 1947, West Star has built a reputation as a premier service provider for business aviation. The Company offers comprehensive MRO capabilities across aircraft manufactured by every major OEM and maintains the largest aircraft on ground ('AOG') technician network nationally, ensuring prompt and reliable mobile repair services. Supported by a deeply knowledgeable and experienced management team, West Star remains focused on delivering excellent customer service and quality. 'West Star is an exceptional business with comprehensive capabilities and a strong customer value proposition that aligns with Greenbriar's strategy of partnering with market leading aviation and aerospace businesses poised for growth,' said Noah Blitzer, a Managing Director at Greenbriar. 'We are grateful for KKR's support, which will help enable us, alongside management, to continue building on West Star's legacy as a premier MRO provider delivering high quality service to its customers.' 'We are pleased to support Greenbriar in its acquisition of West Star Aviation, which we believe is well-positioned to expand its market reach in the resilient and growing aviation MRO space,' said Gene Kolodin, a Managing Director at KKR. About KKR KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR's insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR's investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR's website at For additional information about Global Atlantic Financial Group, please visit Global Atlantic Financial Group's website at About Greenbriar Greenbriar is a middle market private equity firm with 20+ years of experience investing in market-leading services and manufacturing businesses. With $10+ billion of cumulative capital commitments, its investment strategy targets businesses led by experienced management teams capitalizing on strong long-term growth prospects that can benefit from Greenbriar's deep sectoral expertise, strategic insight, and operating capabilities. For more information, please visit About West Star Aviation With more than 78 years of industry experience, West Star Aviation stands as a leading independent Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) provider. Employing over 3,000 professionals, West Star offers comprehensive services from our strategically located full-service facilities in East Alton, IL; Grand Junction, CO; Chattanooga, TN; Millville, NJ; Perryville, MO; and Statesville, NC, as well as multiple satellite locations. The company's extensive capabilities encompass airframe maintenance, paint, interior, and avionics services, supported by the largest Aircraft On Ground (AOG) technician network in the country, ensuring prompt and reliable mobile repair services nationwide. View source version on Julia Kosygina or Lauren McCranie |[email protected] KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ASSET MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FINANCE SOURCE: KKR Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 05/22/2025 07:00 AM/DISC: 05/22/2025 06:59 AM
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
KKR Leads Financing for Greenbriar's Acquisition of West Star Aviation
NEW YORK, May 22, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announced that credit funds and accounts managed by KKR served as lead investors on a debt financing for Greenbriar Equity Group's acquisition of West Star Aviation ("West Star" or the "Company"). Since its founding in 1947, West Star has built a reputation as a premier service provider for business aviation. The Company offers comprehensive MRO capabilities across aircraft manufactured by every major OEM and maintains the largest aircraft on ground ("AOG") technician network nationally, ensuring prompt and reliable mobile repair services. Supported by a deeply knowledgeable and experienced management team, West Star remains focused on delivering excellent customer service and quality. "West Star is an exceptional business with comprehensive capabilities and a strong customer value proposition that aligns with Greenbriar's strategy of partnering with market leading aviation and aerospace businesses poised for growth," said Noah Blitzer, a Managing Director at Greenbriar. "We are grateful for KKR's support, which will help enable us, alongside management, to continue building on West Star's legacy as a premier MRO provider delivering high quality service to its customers." "We are pleased to support Greenbriar in its acquisition of West Star Aviation, which we believe is well-positioned to expand its market reach in the resilient and growing aviation MRO space," said Gene Kolodin, a Managing Director at KKR. About KKR KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR's insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR's investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR's website at For additional information about Global Atlantic Financial Group, please visit Global Atlantic Financial Group's website at About Greenbriar Greenbriar is a middle market private equity firm with 20+ years of experience investing in market-leading services and manufacturing businesses. With $10+ billion of cumulative capital commitments, its investment strategy targets businesses led by experienced management teams capitalizing on strong long-term growth prospects that can benefit from Greenbriar's deep sectoral expertise, strategic insight, and operating capabilities. For more information, please visit About West Star Aviation With more than 78 years of industry experience, West Star Aviation stands as a leading independent Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) provider. Employing over 3,000 professionals, West Star offers comprehensive services from our strategically located full-service facilities in East Alton, IL; Grand Junction, CO; Chattanooga, TN; Millville, NJ; Perryville, MO; and Statesville, NC, as well as multiple satellite locations. The company's extensive capabilities encompass airframe maintenance, paint, interior, and avionics services, supported by the largest Aircraft On Ground (AOG) technician network in the country, ensuring prompt and reliable mobile repair services nationwide. View source version on Contacts Julia Kosygina or Lauren McCranie | Media@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Wire
22-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
KKR Leads Financing for Greenbriar's Acquisition of West Star Aviation
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announced that credit funds and accounts managed by KKR served as lead investors on a debt financing for Greenbriar Equity Group's acquisition of West Star Aviation ('West Star' or the 'Company'). Since its founding in 1947, West Star has built a reputation as a premier service provider for business aviation. The Company offers comprehensive MRO capabilities across aircraft manufactured by every major OEM and maintains the largest aircraft on ground ('AOG') technician network nationally, ensuring prompt and reliable mobile repair services. Supported by a deeply knowledgeable and experienced management team, West Star remains focused on delivering excellent customer service and quality. 'West Star is an exceptional business with comprehensive capabilities and a strong customer value proposition that aligns with Greenbriar's strategy of partnering with market leading aviation and aerospace businesses poised for growth,' said Noah Blitzer, a Managing Director at Greenbriar. 'We are grateful for KKR's support, which will help enable us, alongside management, to continue building on West Star's legacy as a premier MRO provider delivering high quality service to its customers.' 'We are pleased to support Greenbriar in its acquisition of West Star Aviation, which we believe is well-positioned to expand its market reach in the resilient and growing aviation MRO space,' said Gene Kolodin, a Managing Director at KKR. About KKR KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR's insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR's investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR's website at For additional information about Global Atlantic Financial Group, please visit Global Atlantic Financial Group's website at About Greenbriar Greenbriar is a middle market private equity firm with 20+ years of experience investing in market-leading services and manufacturing businesses. With $10+ billion of cumulative capital commitments, its investment strategy targets businesses led by experienced management teams capitalizing on strong long-term growth prospects that can benefit from Greenbriar's deep sectoral expertise, strategic insight, and operating capabilities. For more information, please visit About West Star Aviation With more than 78 years of industry experience, West Star Aviation stands as a leading independent Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) provider. Employing over 3,000 professionals, West Star offers comprehensive services from our strategically located full-service facilities in East Alton, IL; Grand Junction, CO; Chattanooga, TN; Millville, NJ; Perryville, MO; and Statesville, NC, as well as multiple satellite locations. The company's extensive capabilities encompass airframe maintenance, paint, interior, and avionics services, supported by the largest Aircraft On Ground (AOG) technician network in the country, ensuring prompt and reliable mobile repair services nationwide.
News.com.au
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Simon Miller ‘real chance' of toppling Quokka adversary Overpass with three-year-old West Star
Simon Miller quips he is so sick of the sight of Overpass he might put a rowdy horse in an adjacent stable box to keep the two-time The Quokka champion awake at night. Overpass, Bjorn Baker 's sprint star and king of the west, stays at Miller's stables when in Perth. • It has been a glittering formula for success for Baker who has claimed the first two editions of the Quokka with Overpass and is favoured to win a hat-trick of the rich slot race on Saturday. Meanwhile, champion Perth trainer Miller has twice finished second in The Quokka with Amelia's Jewel in 2023 and 2024. Miller thinks he has a good chance of turning the tables in Saturday's $5m race, deploying two horses including 'X-factor' three-year-old West Star who has a big boom on him. West Star has won four from six and was set to be deployed in Group 1 races during the Perth summer carnival, until Miller discovered the star youngster had an entrapped epiglottis after his win in the Listed Belgravia Stakes last October. West Star missed the summer but returned with a vengeance with a dominant win at Ascot earlier this month. Barrier draw done for the $5 million Quokka! Who wins? — TABtouch (@TAB_touch) April 22, 2025 With elite Sydney jockey Tim Clark booked to ride, Miller feels like West Star can give The Quokka a serious shake although conceding Overpass remains the horse they all have to beat. 'I should try to put my most unruly horse next to Overpass to try to keep him awake at night,' Miller joked. 'I do think that West Star is the X-factor horse of The Quokka. He's a machine. 'I was shattered when he had an entrapped epiglottis and I had to miss the whole summer carnival with him. 'I thought he was going to end up in a (Group 1) Winterbottom Stakes or even a (Group 1) Northerly Stakes. 'Looking forward to later in the year, I would say he is a perfect horse for the Golden Eagle in Sydney. 'This Saturday, Overpass is there again and maybe you could say it's his race to lose. 'But I am getting sick of running second to him and I do think I'm a real chance.' West Star drew gate nine at Tuesday's barrier draw. Overpass, aiming for his third Quokka, drew barrier 10 and fellow NSW visitors Front Page (11) and Headwall (8) also drew wide. 🌟 of the West … With 3 wins from 5 starts, West Star holds off the challenge of a fast finishing September Born to capture first stakes victory in the Listed McMahon Belgravia Stakes over 1200m at Ascot. By Darling View Thoroughbreds’ Playing God (as is September Born), West… — Aushorse (@Aushorse_TBA) October 26, 2024 • Broadsiding retired, stud fee announced for 2025 Miller said he is delighted to have the services of Clark on West Star. The two have remained firm friends and have talked regularly ever since Miller was an assistant trainer to John O'Shea and Clark was apprenticed to O'Shea. As for the strength of The Quokka this year, Miller feels it is maybe not quite as strong as the previous two editions. But he said it is hard to know in advance as a horse like Headwall, who finished third behind Briasa in the Group 1 TJ Smith, could be one out of the box. 'Historically you could say that The Quokka has been bigger and better than it is this year,' Miller said. 'But who is to say a horse like Headwall doesn't go right on with it after racing in The Quokka?' Miller also has four-year-old mare Generosity in The Quokka and said she will be a big improver after finishing third in the Roma Cup when a month between runs. 'She will beat at least half the field home in The Quokka,' Miller declared.
