Starcraft new Lonhro ?

[Donny]

A Star has landed

By Matt Stewart - Fox


STARCRAFT – half horse, half machine – survived a hellish preparation to win one of the greatest AJC Australian Derbys in history yesterday and emerge clearly as Lonhro's successor.

With Lonhro to retire after Saturday's Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the baton has been passed a week early. There is no dispute. Starcraft is our current megastar, with the Cox Plate and the world in his sights.

He was awesome yesterday, swooping home with giant strides to deny 100-1 outsider Braeloch the biggest Derby upset in decades.

The expected challengers – Special Harmony, Niello and Delzao – were windswept.

The clash was witnessed by a crowd of 53,655, the highest figure at Randwick for 40 years.

The win must be put into perspective. Starcraft won the Derby by only a whisker, but the effort came at the end of a long, hard road.

"He was straining every muscle in his body to get there," said jockey Glen Boss, who made it a feature race double after his earlier Sires Produce win on Dance Hero.

"He showed so much ticker and determination. He kept going and going."

Starcraft has been to hell and back since January.

He has been floated up and down the Pacific Highway a handful of times, often arriving at midnight after many hours on the road, the day before Group 1 assignments.

He survived 40-degree plus temperatures at Flemington on Cadbury Guineas day, flying home to just miss Reset, who was sold this week for a reported $15 million.

While others have not been the same since that horror day at Flemington, Starcraft, the horse with the constitution of a locomotive, has found reserves of strength and character most animals do not have.

Not even the hoof abscess that ruled him out of the Rosehill Guineas has disrupted his staggering momentum.

Gold Coast trainer Gary Newham, who before yesterday had not raced a horse at Randwick for 30 years (a winner in the 1970s), marvelled at the giant chestnut's constitution.

"Amazing, just amazing. I've never had a horse like him," Newham said. "This is the greatest day of my life. I've never been to a Derby before, never even seen one."

Newham confirmed Starcraft would be spelled and set for the $3 million Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in the spring.

But Starcraft's owner Paul Makin has even bigger ambitions than the Cox Plate for Starcraft.

"I'm really keen to take this horse to Hong Kong in December and then maybe look at going to America," he said.

Makin bought Starcraft two years ago after a phone call from his bloodstock agent, Robert Dawe.

Dawe's first words to Makin were: "I've found you the modern-day Phar Lap." Makin did not need any convincing to fork out $80,000 for the colt.

Yesterday's 2400m race was regarded as the best Derby since Octagonal beat Saintly and Nothin' Leica Dane in 1996.

Lee Freedman's Special Harmony was rated as the best three-year-old filly since Surround. Niello, Lonhro's baby brother, had won the Canterbury and Rosehill Guineas.

They were walloped.

Boss had Starcraft ($3.40) mid-field on the fence for most of the race. He angled clear at the top of the straight and set out after Braeloch (100-1), who had skipped clear after leading.

Delzao ($11), who sat fourth and fifth on the rails throughout, ran on solidly for third.

Special Harmony, the well-backed $2.80 favourite, ran a well-held sixth.

Timbourina ($21) was fourth and shapes as a major obstacle for Special Harmony in Wednesday's AJC Oaks, if the Freedman filly runs.

"She almost went down on her nose at the 700 metres," Freedman said, adding he would monitor the filly before deciding on an Oaks start.

Niello ($4.20) settled last and ran on for seventh. Victoria Derby winner Elvstroem ($21) whacked away for fifth.

The win was an emotional one for Boss, who shed tears during his acceptance speech.

Boss has known Gold Coast-based Newham for more than 20 years. The champion jockey rode regularly for the trainer at the Gold Coast when Boss was starting out.

"We go back a long way, Gaz," Boss said at the presentation.

There were some hard-luck stories among the beaten brigade.

Trainer Tony Vasil said he thought Elvstroem would win at the 300m, but "was a bit dour the last bit".

He said eighth-placed Under The Bridge was "slaughtered" by Larry Cassidy.

Delzao's trainer Greg Kavanagh was thrilled with his horse, adding Delzao was caught in some traffic approaching the turn.

Trainer John Hawkes said Niello was not good enough on the day and drifted too far back.

Guy Walter, trainer of Braeloch, is looking ahead to the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup.

"What a great run. We'll put him away and look to the spring," Walter said.