Doubts Raised After Academy Star’s Defeat

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31017, 24 March 1966, Page 4

Doubts Raised After Academy Star’s Defeat

[From the Australian Racing correspondent oj “The Press"]

Academy Star has put backers in a quandary so far as the Golden Slipper Stakes is concerned.

On Saturday this extremely fast two-year-old son of Edmundo (imp) and the outstanding filly of her day, Concert Star, was beaten in an openclass Flying Handicap at Canterbury Park.

Had he won, punters would have rushed to accept the short price at which he now rules favourite for the “Slipper.”

But in defeat it is another matter, even though his performance was of a high order. The Golden Slipper Stakes, with 825,000 in stake money, will be run at Rosehill next Saturday over the six-furlong course.

i Never has there been such a field of two-year-olds. It is a vintage year of horses , of that age. Three of the best —Academy Star, Legal Boy, and Redolent—were not entered in the original nomina- ; tions, but are in the field because the $2OOO late entry fee i has been paid. Academy Star’s price is so short that were the late entry fee made into a bet, the win would not be double the outlay. Emphasis has been placed on Academy Star reducing to three-quarters of a length the : margin by which the winner, Aldor, led him about half a furlong out. Ridden Hard Early . Academy Star had been ridden into the lead early and had made the pace solid except for a brief breather starting the rise up the hill after the half-mile. Then he was joined by Aldor at the top of the straight, and. I after a brief tussle, had been • beaten into second place. I Because of 31b overweight declared by his rider, B. Stein, Academy Star had Sib over i weight-tor-age. Aldor. a good sprinter in winning form, had 71b under weight- | for-age on a rain-soaked track :to which he is partial, and on [ which Academy Star was inexperienced. Many outstanding champions have failed at their first run at Canterbury even when the footing is fast, but on Saturday it did not appear to worry Academy Star at all. On the face of it. to make ground in the last 50 yards, after seemingly to be well and truly beaten beginning the last furlong, was very good indeed. But Aldor invariably “stops” towards the end of a six-fur-long race, and he did so on Saturday, making the final stages of the race favour Academy Star's effort as the better performance. With even luck in running, he race will at least settle the question of whether Academv Star or Very Merry is the fastes't Sydney two-year-old—a point still very much debated. Sydney Cup Chance If a New Zealand-bred is to continue the successes of the stayers from that country by winning the Sydney Cup, then [Tasman Lad could be the horse. Tasman Lad arrived here last spring, too late to be properlv ualned for the Melbourne Cup wfth.’ugh he nn in it. On Saturday. Tasman Lad came about eighth at the top of the straight to be an impressive second to Patient Polly in the Underwood Cup, run over nine furlongs and SO yards. Three weeks earlier he had faded to be third over one mile ““ at Kos «hiU. where considerable use was made of

him to have him in front half a mile from home. Tasman Lad sweated freely after Saturday’s race, indicative of softness, even though he looks in good condition. His

trainer, H. H. Riley, gives the horse a tremendous amount of long steady work and the regulars who see him in his training are impressed by the way Tasman Lad accomplishes it. Tasman Lad is by a New

Zealand-bred horse. Ocean Spray, whjch was trained ln Sydney bv the late D Lewis ine Jaie trainer of four Sydney Cup winners.

Ocean Spray is by Neptune (imp.), a Hyperion horse, but he has not had much success at the stud. Tasman Lad may be his best, although another by him, Taranaki, was a fairly good one.