STARCRAFT
 

You're on again mate. Tomorrow night at Newmarket. Group 1 QE11 Stakes.

British warming to him....
 

Backed it in from 3rd to second fav.... I'm led to believe...

Tough field to Rakti os the short priced fav and will be hard to beat has an amzing cruising speed, Dubawi will be tough to beat if there is any rain over the next 24 hours to if the big fella pulls this one off it will be the biggest overseas victory by any australian horse lately.

The big fella won!! 3/4 of a length.

Massive win for starcraft and Australia!

Awesome win he was travelling so well in runing he had them beat all the way might have been the best run I have seen him pull off. I have never seen the horse travel so well perfectly ridden by the young frenchman and just kept finding under pressure. What a day my 2nd fav horse (I must admit he has probably taken the place of Raw these days) winning the biggest race of his life and the Tigers getting up to get to the grand final just an awesome day.

Hey Raw, I think Starcraft might have just a tad more ability than Raw Instinct. :D

Only a little Sportz ;) Raw was the 1st horse I ever really followed I haven't been betting that long and Starcraft would have been the 2nd one for me from the 1st day I saw him race I thought geez this is the best horse I have seen if he can put it all together. He could just win from positions that normal horses just don't win from I still think he should have won the Cox plate last year it was just a very poorly planned schedule for him there this made up for it last night he got that big group 1 against a very very good field. Wonder if Makin is maybe thinking about the Cox Plate again now can't tell me it wouldn't be sitting there in the back of his mind even if it is probably a little late to get him here and ready.

Congrats to Australia on Starcraft's victory! I can't wait to see this run, especially after Raw's description. Now, will his connections put up $300,000 to supplement to the Breeder's Cup Mile? That's a lot of money to risk winning $900,000 for first place. They'll just about break even if he runs second. The BC has to rethink some of their rules. Very impressive, Starcraft!

I would say no to the Breeders Cup it would surprise me if they go that way in reality I think they are looking at another english race then maybe the Hong Kong Mile.

I agree, but they are talking it up in the Daily Racing Form over here. It would be a great match up with LeRoiDesAnimeaux trained by Bobby Frankel. Alinghi is set to run on Oct 8 at Keeneland in the Shadwell.

The just said on TV here his morning that there is next to no chance of going to america the owner doesn't really seem all that excited about the idea for some reason or another and from the sound of things if he doesn't go to stud now then he will probably race again in England as I said before then to Hong Kong after that would imagine it would be off to stud.

The reason Starcraft won't race in the US is because the owner Paul Makin doesn't like the place, his comments were along the lines of he wished the plane could fly faster over America so he could get out of the place.

Yea ok I missed that part but that would expalin it he is an eccentric piece of work Paul Makin he managed to alienate alot of people over here before he took Starcraft overseas.

Yeah. I suppose he's had the last laugh now though. And after all, he's the owner, so he can decide when and where it runs.

Don't get me wrong Sportz I love horse but Makin just leaves you scratching your head sometimes either way nothing can take this one away from them just a massive result for Australasia.

Wicked
 

Thanks for the update, again I missed it. Great to hear that he's finally impressing some people. Finally. Go you good looking horse!

Makin has now had a change of heart and may now take Starcraft to the states to run in the Breeders Cup - dirt or turf, he's not sure but one will cost him $400,000 and the other $800,000 in late entry fees.

Go on Makin, take the horse to Hollywood!
 

I would love nothing better than to see the MIGHTY Starcraft take everyone out in the Kentucky Derby. Please.

Someone can correct me if I am wrong but the Kentucky Derby is contested by 3yos as I think nearly all derbys are except for the Hong Kong one which is contested by 4yos either way mate Starcraft aint going to be winning the Kentucky Derby.

Interesting Makins change of heart to maybe go to the US would love to see him there if he was able to take that out then it would shut every single doubter of this horse up for once and for all. I actually think he could be suited by either the Turf or Dirt races he looks asthough he could adapt to either I know alot of horses don't but he gives me the impression he can then if he does and wins then his status as a sire will go through the roof even more so than it has right now.

Raw, you are right, the KY Derby is for 3 yo. and is contested on the first Saturday in May. I guess the $800,00 is a supplement for THe Classic and the $400,000 is for the turf or mile(I heard $300,000 for the Mile but who knows). I wouldn't personally put up that kind of money myself, but I hope Makin does. I gotta check this Makin character out.

Apparently the late entry fee is equal to 20% of the total prizemoney on offer in each respective race. The difference between the $300,000 and the $400,000 would probably be because one is expressed in US dollars and the other in Australian dollars.

Damn about the Kentucky Derby. Maybe just a short trip out here to kick our donkeys in the Cox Plate and silence those Lonhro-esque critics. Maybe lose a shoe and take out Makybe. What about the Japan Cup? It would be unlike Makin to think small, I wonder if he's considered it?

Prob'ly right there La Mer. Plus what's a measly $100,000 anyway?!?!?

Just out of interest- What was the QEII worth for winning on the weekend?

Approx $200,000 AUD for winning, $300,000 in total prizemoney.

I thought thats what i heard the other day, what a joke-a race like that would have been minimum $1,000,000 over here regardless of wether 6 started or 18 started.

This weeks group 2 turnbull stakes has a prize pool of over $500,000 AUD. Why is racing overseas (bar the monster races in Dubai, Japan and Hong Kong) worth peanuts? Even in America, the purse for the big races over there are about the equivalent to an Australia Cup over here.

Is this the reason we are so reluctant to send our best offshore?

REally, REal Deal. That is so paltry and you are correct about our purses as well, except th eBreeder's cup. I have a felling that the major players here don't want to out do the BC purses because it will make them less important. BC is GREAT day of racing. How about the purses in South Africa? What a joke!

i must admit SS, that unless it is racing in Australia or has an Australian horse in it then i am really not too interested. So for south african racing-they could for all i know be riding around on camels but because we are yet to send an aussie over of any potential that i know or remember then i am not interested. apparently there may be a couple coming our way for the major races so maybe i will have to do some research and find out if they are really riding horses.

Is that a bit harsh to overseas racing? or a bit one eyed?

very accurate about the purses but VERY harsh regarding the talent level. I learned that from all the SA that come here and the ones in AUS. They never have earned any money and have won like three G1's, so it may just be more of a sport over there, but the talent is there. Look at Battle Maiden in AUS.

battle maiden is coping fairly well at G2, G3 and Listed Level. This is a step down from the dominating G1 horse that he was in SA

True. But he is in a new country and up against alot. Plus at least he's earning his keep now!!! LOL

nah, you have taken it the wrong way. I was stating that i have never watched or heard about SA racing, due to an alinghi or starcraft or makybe diva ever going over there to contest one of there big races. I never knocked the talent or potential of there horses, its just i have absolutely no idea who or what they are.

I will state the reason for this is i do all my betting through the TAB or with bookies when i get to the melbourne meetings (nearly every week during spring), so if i can't bet on it (which is the case with most overseas races) i will show little interest.

Sorry Real, I understand the DeaL! I don't know anything about SA racing either except that all the ones that come over here always end up being pretty decent.

SS, here is what Ozeform has to say about the Starcraft situation:

Breeders Cup Mile for Starcraft

September 28, 2005 The lure of being proclaimed “Worlds Best Miler” seems to be too much for owner Paul Makin to turn down with his 5 year old chestnut Starcraft now set to take on the worlds best in New York. Having claimed champion miler of Europe status with a comprehensive win over Godolphin champ Dubawi in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Saturday, Starcraft is now set to take his place in next month's $1.5 million Breeders' Cup Mile at Belmont Park. Makin has already issued a challenge to the connections of Dubawi declaring, "I do not think Dubawi could beat us over any trip, ground or time," "He came over to join us in the race and actually hung into us, but then when our boy realised there was still a race, he pulled away.” "Dubawi had his chance and had his ground. If Frankie can persuade the boss into a sporting wager, maybe we can get a match on.” "It doesn't matter where it is or what the distance is, we'll just turn up on the day. It would give me a lot of satisfaction." Makin will however have to pay either a $400,000 or $800,000 fee to run the son of Soviet Star in either of the Breeders' Cup Mile or the mile and-a-quarter Breeders' Cup Classic which will both be run on dirt. "Money doesn't come into it with Starcraft and we'll have to go where our convictions take us, but I don't think it will be the Champion Stakes at Newmarket," he said. "We brought him over here to race against the best in the world, not to take on pussycats. Leroidesanimaux (the early favorite with English bookmakers for the Classic Mile) is one we'd like to beat."

This is beginning to sound like Seabiscuit the movie.

Love it though and love the horse. Would love to see him back for the Newmarket here in March or Even Australian Cup which was talked about very early (Makin also mentioned he wanted ollie to return to ride him that day) but it is no chance i think.

Thanks Merri, That Makin is comical!!!! He is a real character, ain't he???

Any suporter othis horse should watch the replay of Racing Retro on TV tonight they have Makin on there and he has the trophy for the QE II on there which I must say was a very impressive lump of gold. Aparently it is about 6kgs of solid gold. He also half tipped his hat whic way he might go with Starcraft in America highly liely that it will the dirt race or atleast it looked asthough he was leaning that way anyway. He also said he has had offers of $16 million to send the horse to stud which he basically didn't even consider then he was asked whether he would sell him for $20 million he basically said he wouldn't even consider it saying money isn't something he really needs anyway.


He is the type of owner it is a shame we don't have more of in this country he has plenty of money and unless he gets a ridiculos offer he gets more honor out of the feats of this horse than going for the shotgun sale as Lloyd Williams has done on more than one occasion. If the horse comes through america fine then it is a very strong possibility he goes to Hong Kong the maybe the $3 million race in Dubai next year either way he certainly wants to win as much as he can with this horse and good one him he has gone the right way about it rather than a hit and run mission.

I have changed my mind on Makin aswell after that interview this morning he does seem to be a very down to earth bloke he just has a very very good horse who he loves and thinks he can win anything.

Phar Lap
 

If Makin had given up on Starcraft after the Cox Plate like everyone else it would have been a very sad end indeed. Sea Biscuit-esque indeed.

By the way, how many horses had been sent overseas when Woodcock sent Phar Lap to America in 1931? Or was he actually the first?

Couldn't answer that Starcraft no idea if Pharlap was the first horse to travel or not I would imagine not. Thought I would add another little tidbit here Paul Makin who now also owns Private Steer has booked her to american champion Ghostzapper who off memory was great between 1200-2000m not certain of that though could be an interesting cobo anyway.