Fit-again Starlactic Set To Put Best Foot Forward

Sun Herald

Sunday March 11, 2007

By Tony White

GRAFTON sprinter Starlactic is expected to resume his career at Lismore on March 26.

The gelding hasn't raced since a last-place finish behind another crack North Coast sprinter, Natural Destiny, when resuming in a group 3 event at Doomben on December 9.

Trainer Wayne Lawson had the five-year-old thoroughly examined after the failure and he was spelled immediately. Lawson believes the shock performance was due to problems with the gelding's feet.

"His front heels were collapsing. He was crushing his heels on both front feet," he said. "When he came back in to work, we fitted him with special support shoes to keep the right angle. We were able to keep them on for 21/2 months, which has allowed the heels to mend and take away the bruising."

Because of racecourse renovations on his home track, Lawson has elected not to trial Starlactic leading into his comeback race, which will prove vital for the future.

"I'd prefer to start him first up somewhere around here [on the North Coast]," he said. "I don't want to float him too far and the open handicap at Lismore over 1000 metres looks good.

"It's hard to get a real line on his fitness, but after Lismore we should have more understanding how he's really going."

Steward on move

YET another experienced Australian racing steward has accepted an overseas posting. Canberra Racing Club's chief steward, John Davidson, has taken a position as senior steward with the Singapore Turf Club.

He had been in Canberra for six years. He was previously based on the NSW North Coast and has been involved in the local racing industry since 1987.

Davidson joins a long list of Australian stewards lured overseas - to Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Mauritius - over the past decade.

This drain on experienced stewards is a continuing problem local authorities need to address.

Boot winner's first

THE stature of the Wellington Boot gained a considerable boost following the upset win of the Graeme Rogerson-trained He's No Pie Eater in the group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes at Randwick on March 3.

The star three-year-old became the first horse in the Wellington Boot's history to win at racing's elite level.

He's No Pie Eater, trained by Gai Waterhouse and ridden by Jay Ford, won the 2006 Boot from Anavila (Greg Ryan) and Buzzy Henry (Mark Newnham).

The Wellington Boot this year, over 1100 metres, will be run on Sunday, April 1 and is worth $45,000.

Popp the champers

IT'S a long haul from famed Goondiwindi in Queensland to Coonabarabran in NSW, but the trip proved fruitful for trainer Thomas Popp.

Popp saddled up the maiden Avoca, which finally broke through for a well-deserved win at her sixth race start, ridden by Japanese apprentice Fuji Amano. The four-year-old mare had been trained by Stephen Lee at Ballina but was sold to Queensland interests last year.

Avoca finished a first-up second at Moree for Popp before her maiden success over 900m last Saturday.

Horse v human

A RACEHORSE versus man match race should provide an interesting sideshow to the Moree meeting on Easter Sunday, April 7.

Former NRL try-scoring machine Nathan Blacklock will match strides with crack sprinter Bennyblaise, trained by Peter Sinclair.

Blacklock, a speedy winger who played with St George Illawarra, English side Hull and the NSW Waratahs in rugby union, will run in relay with NSW touch football representative Barry McGrady.

They will sprint 200m in relay and Bennyblaise, an unbeaten four-year-old, will start from the 400m mark at the top of the Moree home straight.

Murphy appeal

THANKS to the generosity of the racing industry, more than $18,000 has been sent to the family of Irish jockey Damien Murphy, who died after a horrific fall at Wellington on January 26.

Moree jockey Danny Frahm and his wife Mireille set up the appeal shortly after Murphy's death, raising $18,153 through raffles and donations. "Our local bank was very helpful with everything, and transferred the money into Mrs Murphy's Kildare Credit Union account for us on Monday," Frahm said.

"I've kept in regular contact with Damien's parents, Mary and Mick, and the family is coping well with the loss. Mary seems to be handling things OK, but now that everything has settled down for her, I think Damien's death has started to hit home."

Three of the best

SUNDAY offers a country punting feast, with major meetings at Armidale, Queanbeyan and Corowa.

Armidale will stage the $20,000 Gold Cup (1400m) and $10,000 Armidale Cup Prelude (1900m) as a forerunner to the Armidale Cup meeting next Monday featuring the $26,000 Armidale Gold Cup (1900m).

At Queanbeyan, Global Sprint Challenge winner Takeover Target will stage an exhibition gallop between races. The gelding's owner-trainer, Joe Janiak, was recently inducted into the local Sporting Hall Of Fame.

Janiak said Takeover Target's initial mission this campaign would be the group1 $600,000 TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick on April 7.

The Corowa meeting features the annual $20,000 Corowa Cup over 1600m.

They're racing

TAB meetings: today - Armidale, Queanbeyan and Corowa; Tuesday - Port Macquarie; Friday - Muswellbrook and Nowra; Saturday - Coffs Harbour.Non-TAB meetings: Saturday - Balranald and Tottenham.

tonywhite@vtown.com.au

© 2007 Sun Herald

Back to News Index | Back to Home