Starcraft (NZ)

World champion miler
10:05 AM Monday Nov 03, 2008

When agent Robert Dawe saw Waikato Stud’s Soviet Star-Flying Floozie colt at the 2002 New Zealand Premier Yearling Sale, he described him as “the modern day Phar Lap - a big chestnut that filled your eye.” Owner Paul Makin scoffed a little at the comparison, but trusted his friend’s judgment enough to pay $80,000 for the horse.

It was a wise decision. Named Starcraft, the charismatic colt took an unforgettable journey through the Group One winner’s circles of four countries, to a Timeform rating of 128 and the accolade of World Champion Older Turf Miler.

Australia’s best internationally performed horse since Strawberry Road over 20 years ago

Starcraft’s career began modestly in the care of trainer Garry Newham, with two placings from three two-year-old appearances. He won his fifth start in Queensland, and then progressed rapidly, winning eight of his next 12 outings, notably the AJC Australian Derby G1.

Reversing the usual flow of spring trans-Tasman traffic, Starcraft travelled to Hastings for the 2004 Hawke’s Bay Triple Crown and won the first two legs, at 1400 and 1600 metres, with a rare combination of pace and power.   

Courageous placings  followed  in the Ormond Memorial, Caulfield Stakes, and Cox Plate before Paul Makin fulfilled a long-held dream to take a horse to the northern hemisphere, and sent Starcraft  to Luca Cumani’s Newmarket stable.   At his first European start, in the Queen Anne S. G1 at York Starcraft confirmed his class, and the quality of his form, by finishing third to Valixir and Rakhti.

After running sixth in the Sandown Eclipse S. G1, over ten furlongs at Sandown, he lined up again at his preferred 1600-metre distance in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp G1 and ran home easily in track record time.

The final and most important win of his career came in the one-mile Newmarket Queen Elizabeth II s. G1 where he resolutely held off Godolphin star Dubawi. That performance allowed his delighted owner to tell the English media, “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!”

Starcraft now stands at Arrowfield Stud where John Messara has called him “Australia’s best internationally performed horse since Strawberry Road over 20 years ago.” Starcraft brings serious pedigree credentials as well as his splendid race record to his new career. By a high-class European sprinter-miler, he’s from the distinguished antipodean family of champions Surround, Beau Zam, and Balmerino.

STARCRAFT (NZ) 2000 chestnut colt
BREEDING	Soviet Star-Flying Floozie (NZ) by Moss Trooper
RECORD	22 starts from 2 to 5: 11 wins from 1400-2400m, 7 placings, £153,446, $A2,106,450, $NZ359,000
BREEDER	Garry Chittick, Waikato
OWNER	The Auastralian SyndicatePaulyn Syndicate (Manager: Paul Makin)
TRAINERS	Garry Newham (Australia); Luca Cumani (England)
REGULAR JOCKEYS	Glen Boss, Christophe Lemaire
GROUP ONE WINS	Newmarket Queen Elizabeth II S., Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, AJC Australian Derby, Chipping Norton S., HBRI Challenge S.