Golden Slipper Ahead For Astern
All the brilliance he had promised in private was reproduced on the racetrack by Astern in a stunning racetrack debut in the Surf Meets Turf Plate at Randwick on Saturday, December 5.
All the brilliance he had promised in private was reproduced on the racetrack by Astern in a stunning racetrack debut in the 1000m Surf Meets Turf Plate at Randwick on Saturday, December 5.
Astern (John O'Shea/James McDonald) has been regarded as one of the more promising youngsters in the stable and had confirmed that with a barrier trial win last month.
"If we are going to win a big two-year-old race, this is the colt to do it," O'Shea said.
Astern more than "did it". The half-brother to classy sprinter Mogador showed blistering speed that he sustained for the entire journey, going to the line two-and-a-half lengths clear of Niccolance.
And according to jockey James McDonald, Astern's debut victory was merely a preview of bigger things for a horse he described as "a super colt".
"He's a weapon, he's as good as they come, a super colt in the making," McDonald said.
McDonald took Astern to the front as the field settled into stride and the pair had the race under their control after 100m.
"He was idling all the way up the straight and if one challenged him, he'd have gone again," the jockey said.
"He's pretty exciting, he gives me goose bumps.
"He feels like a machine, he looks like a machine and he runs like one."
O'Shea said the son of Medaglia d'Oro would now be rested before being prepared for the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes, the world's richest two-year-old race.
"He'll go and have a little freshen up now and come back for the Autumn," O'Shea said.
"He'll just go through a normal Golden Slipper preparation. He'll run in the Silver Slipper and the Todman Stakes."
The G2 Silver Slipper is run at Rosehill on Februrary 20 with the G2 Todman Stakes at Randwick two weeks later, and another two-week break to the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes at Rosehill on Mach 19.
