racing_news/

Starcraft Strikes for Australia
24/09/05

The giant Australian horse Starcraft, who stands 17 hands high, headed a real international outcome to the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Stakes as, trained by an Italian, Luca Cumani, and ridden by a Frenchman, Christophe Lemaire, he outran the 6/4 favourite Dubawi to win by three-quarters of a length.

“I am over the moon after that,” said Cumani. “It was so good that I want to do it all over again,and again. We want to prove him to be the champion miler in the world and I think we are three-quarters of the way to doing that.

“Once we had done all we could with his training, the big thing was to keep him calm, and after that to keep the trainer calm which was much more difficult.

“But he is a very good horse, as he showed there and I was not at all worried about putting up a jockey who had never ridden on this course before. He is a very good jockey and he did a very good job.

“I don’t know what the plans are for him and we shall have to talk about the Breeders’ Cup with Paul Makin, who heads the Australian Syndicate who own him. I think it will cost about $300,000 to enter him and that is a lot of money.”

Christophe Lemaire described how he was determined not to panic when the field of six split into two groups and he just let Starcraft gallop along.

“At the three-furlong marker I wanted to give him a blow, and then when I gave him a crack with the whip he responded very well.

“All the time I was looking for Frankie on Dubawi as I knew he had to come at some time. My horse had not been doing a lot when he was first in front, but when Dubawi came to him he picked up again. Dubawi got to him and that just gave him the incentive to go on again and he ran on very well.”

Paul Makin, Starcraft’s owner, said after the victory: “That was enormous - coming all this way to get the money.

“It looks like he is the best in the world at the distance. I don’t mind the Ashes now - I am really pleased that you guys won them!

“I only really wanted to win this race - we might go to America but I always ask the plane to fly faster when I go over it!”

STARCRAFT (NZ) FACTFILE
5 ch h Soviet Star (USA) - Flying Floozie (NZ) (Pompei Court (USA))
Owner: The Australian Syndicate Breeder: G J Chittick
Form: 3204111/1211111233-3611 Trainer: Luca Cumani Jockey: Christophe Lemaire

Starcraft
The New Zealand-bred Starcraft was purchased by agent Rob Dawe and began his career in Australia, where he developed into a high-class performer. He won three times in 2003 before really coming into his own last year, when his six successes included the Group One Chipping Norton Stakes over a mile at Warwick Farm, the Group One Australian Derby over a mile and a half at Randwick and the Group One Mudgway Partsworld Stakes at Hastings in New Zealand. Last season ended with a very decent effort in one of Australia’s greatest races, the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley, when he finished third behind Savabeel. For all of his starts in Australia, Starcraft was trained by Gary Newham but at the start of the year his owner Paul Makin, inspired by the success of Choisir in 2003, decided that he would like his star performer to challenge for Europe’s top races and he was transferred to Luca Cumani. His first start for Cumani came in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot at York in June, when he ran a fine race to finish third behind Valixir and Rakti. He then headed to Sandown for the Coral-Eclipse, but ran a disappointing race in only finishing sixth to Oratorio. He bounced back to form in no uncertain style last time when taking the mile Group One Prix du Moulin at Longchamp on September 4, when he had the likes of Whipper and Valixir in arrears and confirmed that form by winning today’s Queen Elizabeth II Stakes from Dubawi.

Race Record: Starts: 21; 1st: 11; 2nd: 3; 3rd: 4; Win & Place Prize Money: £1,288,061