Starlactic Facing Blitz At Doomben
Story By Chris Scholtz
Wednesday, 16 August 2006:  | | Natural Blitz |
Victorian star Natural Blitz is beginning his build up to the $3 million Tattersalls W.S. Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in October while Starlactic is coming to the end of a campaign that has stamped him as a future Group winner.
Cranbourne trainer Doug Harrison left Natural Blitz in Queensland after the seven-year-old finished 13th in the $1 million Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm on June 10.
The Dehere stallion is topweight for Saturday's Intergaze Handicap (1350m) with 61kg, 3.5kg more than Starlactic, with Michael Cahill booked for the ride.
Harrison decided to prepare Natural Blitz at the Gold Coast for his spring campaign to avoid wet winter tracks in Victoria.
Natural Blitz is known as a duffer in affected going but has earned a reputation as a "rainmaker" as he frequently attracts wet weather when he is entered for races.
He has recorded eight wins and 10 minor placings from 54 starts but significantly has no victories on tracks rated worse than good with his stats on dead, slow and heavy tracks reading 18 runs for just two minor placings.
He also has not won a race in Victoria since 2003 with four of his eight wins including his last three - in the Hill Stakes, Wagga Gold Cup and P.J. O'Shea Stakes - being recorded on good tracks in NSW and Queensland.
Saturday's race will be the only Brisbane start for Natural Blitz as Harrison plans to continue his Cox Plate preparation in Sydney weight-for-age races through September.
The G2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on September 9, G2 Hill Stakes (1900m) at Rosehill on September 23 and G3 Craven Plate (2000m) at Randwick on October 7 are on his agenda if the tracks are favourable.
Grafton trainer Wayne Lawson was happy to see Natural Blitz and Stradbroke winner St Basil nominated for Saturday's race as it helped suppress the weights for his sprinter's first attempt at a distance beyond 1200m.
Starlactic has won 11 of his 20 starts and Lawson is keen to test him over 1350m before he sends him for a spell to help him map out his goals at next year's autumn and winter carnivals.
Starlactic bounced back from his Ramornie Handicap defeat at Grafton last month to score over 1200m under 57kg at Doomben on August 5, his fifth win from six starts on the track.
Apprentice Ric McMahon, Starlactic's rider in seven of hiss 11 wins, has retained the mount in Saturday's non-claiming race.
St Basil, equal topweight with Natural Blitz, will start in Sydney on Saturday in the $140,000 Premiere Stakes at Rosehill with Jim Cassidy booked for the ride.
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