There's not a lot of Star Surprise but he has some motor.
Making his third trip to the races, the 2yo son of Sidereus backed up from his maiden win at Echuca on June 16 to defeat Can't Be Done (All Too Hard) by three-quarters of a length in Saturday's Ladbrokes Odds Boost Handicap (1200) at Caulfield.
Star Surprise was beaten in to second place Can't Be Done when the pair met at their career debuts at Sale on May 14.
Since then Can't Be Done has finished second at Caulfield and won at Sandown so was asked to concede 3kgs to Star Surprise whose trainer Michael Moroney recalled on that day the gelding had been slowly away and became unbalanced around the home turn. (images Grant Courtney )
"He should have probably won three out of three," Moroney told AAP
"I know the winner won easily that day but he would have made it interesting if he had jumped away and did everything right.
"With weights and measures, if you believe in that, he was in well today."
"He's not very big. We tried to get him ready to the Magic Millions (2yo Classic) but he came to us unbroken at the end of June (last year) from the sale. I tried to push him through, but he went shin sore and we had to stop.
"He's got a lot of ability and he tries hard."
Purchased by
Moroney's brother Paul for just $8000 out of the Oaklands Stud draft at the 2018
Magic Millions National Yearling Sale, Star Surprise is the first foal of the
Ferocity mare Ferocious Katy who was never a factor in her two start career at
the Sunshine Coast.
But she is a sister to the talented Divine City who won the Just Now Quality at Eagle Farm when trained by Garnett Taylor.
There is plenty back in the pedigree to attract a Kiwi as the fourth dam, the stakes-placed Sir Tristram mare Patricia, is a sister to the Group 1 Australian Cup winner Admiral Lincoln and to Pride Of Rosewood who travelled from New Zealand to America to claim the Group 1 Gamely Stakes at Hollywood Park.
Ferocious Katy's yearling colt by Dawn Approach (IRE) was sold to Regal Farm/Teng Long Thoroughbreds for $45,000 at this year's Magic Millions.
After slipping to Hollowed Crown in 2017, Ferocious Katy was covered by Exosphere last spring.
Group II Pago Pago Stakes winner Sidereus (General Nediym) has supplied a steady stream of winners since retiring to stud in 2012 however, he is still searching for his first stakes-winner and support fell off dramatically last season when he covered just six mares. His fee has been halved to $3,300 at Oaklands Stud in 2019.
