News

Cummings has struck a staying star

18th Sep 2011

Sydney Morning Herald - Craig Young - Sunday, September 2011

THE ''for sale'' sign is still up for anyone interested in taking a slice of emerging stayer Strike The Stars, which blew the start and still gave rivals a beating a Rosehill yesterday.

The $80,000 yearling purchase went into the Gloaming Stakes a maiden. The heavily backed favourite emerged with Saturday week's group 1 Spring Champion Stakes at his mercy.

''If someone came along with the right money they buy in,'' trainer Anthony Cummings said. ''I even tried to sell a part of it two weeks ago.''

Cummings spotted Strike The Stars at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and wasn't leaving without the horse. Also bidding on the galloper was Neven Botica, but he stopped when Cummings confirmed his intention.

Botica took a 50 per cent stake and Cummings was left with the rest but, if the trainer is right, the rewards will be great. ''I'll be absolutely disappointed if he doesn't win the Spring Champion,'' he said. ''The option is there to take him to Melbourne for the Victoria Derby, a huge temptation, but I can't see it as being the right thing to do.

''It is his first preparation, he has only had one week in the paddock, he is a really good horse. If we put him away we'll have the best staying three-year-old in the autumn.''

Jockey Hugh Bowman wasn't sure if Strike The Stars clipped the heels of a rival leaving the barriers.

''He just blundered,'' Bowman said. ''The plan was to be handy but I had to reassess. He has won good, we were really confident, he was even money and entitled to do it.''

What impressed Bowman was that Strike The Stars switched off back along the rails. ''Even though the leader skipped away rounding the turn, when my horse got out he was always going to catch him,'' he said.

''I thought I'd stay on the rails and the runs would come. When they did he was good enough to take them.''

Doctor Doom had led at a comfortable clip under Rodney Quinn but the gelding was no match for Strike The Stars, which peeled off his back inside the final 200m and raced away.

''He ran terrific,'' Quinn said. ''Bad luck the winner was there.''