Star Major is the second favourite for the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and this progressive Querari colt has been in fine fettle at Randjesfontein after his superb win in the Gr 2 WSB Guineas.
Tim Woodruff is the Randjesfontein assistant to trainer James Crawford and he said about the Maine Chance Farms-bred bay, who is owned by passionate Durban-born owner, Ravi Naidoo, together with Neville Isdell, Mr J I Bloch and Mrs Prakashni Pillay.
Tim said, “He is all good, we have just tried to freshen him up because it is a quick turnaround between races, but he is doing good. You do get your things between races you sometimes have to deal with, but I do think he will be alright for the Daily News.”
Star Major jumped from a wide draw in the WSB Guineas and was dropped out.
He turned for home in last place with a number of lengths to make up, but then produced a good turn of foot followed by an impressively resolute finish coupled with an eyecatching late gear change that saw him surging to a 0,90 length victory over the hot favourite Tin Pan Alley.
Of course sectional timing invariably shows that apparent late surges or apparent flying finishes are usually an optical illusion caused by the other horses slowing down at a more rapid rate than the apparently strong-finishing horse. Invariably the surging horse is actually also slowing down.
Indeed the sectional timing of the WSB Guineas shows Star Major’s 100m to finish time to be his slowest sectional of the entire race.
However the fact that he was able to have the fastest 100m to finish time of the whole field, despite having had to make up many lengths to get there, seems to show that he has got some stamina.
He did win the Gr 3 Politician Stakes over 1800m and finished a fair 3,20 length fourth in the Gr 1 Lucky Fish Cape Derby over 2000m, both at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth. In the latter race he ran on despite having been a bit keen in the running.
That would illustrate he has tthe stamina, but hopefully he wiill be able to settle better this time.
He settled very well in the WSB Guineas and due to his wide draw Tim Woodruff said the same tactic of being dropped out will be employed.
He added, “Obviously it’s a short straight so it’s obviously not ideal. But just looking for a good run and then obviously the July afterwards.”
He gave his opinion on the 2000m distance, “He should get the trip.”
Querari won a Gr 1 over 2000m and Star Major is out of a mare by stamina influnce Silvano and this mare not only won over 1900m, but was an own siater to Follow The Star, who won the Listed Glenair Trophy over 2800m.
So on pedigree he will easily stay the trip.
Mickaelle Michel retains the ride and if winning it she will become only the second woman in SA history to win a Gr 1, the only one to date to have won one being Lisa Prestwood on the Buddy Maroun-trained Al Nitak in the Golden Horse Sprint on June 1, 2023, almost exactly 23 years ago.
Mickaelle has been in excellent form and Tim confirmed that if everything went well in the Daily News she would keep the ride for the Hollywoodbets Durban July too.
Tim agreed she had been outriding many of her male weighing room colleagues and added, “She has got the touch.”
But back to Star Major, who is still a colt meaning a Daily News win will look very good on his stallion CV.
Tim said, “If you win the Guineas and the Daily News it is just next level.”
Tim said Star Major had a fine chance of realising the dream of Ravi Naidoo and no doubt all the other owners too, a win in the R10 million Hollywoodbets Durban July.
He concluded, “He is ticking all the boxes, He’s a machine.”
