The former Gauteng based Var filly Star Burst Galaxy has settled in quickly at her new PE base and scored her second win in four local starts when coming through smoothly for an easy victory in Friday’s R100 000 Aloe Handicap on the Fairview polytrack.
Gavin Lerena steers Star Burst Galaxy to a smooth win in the Aloe Handicap (Pic – Pauline Herman Photography)
Many horses land up in the Eastern Cape after frustratingly below-par performances in the major centres. Star Burst Galaxy does not fall into that category.
Formerly with Mike Azzie in Gauteng, the lightly raced bay won on a well-backed debut and was twice stakes placed in her first four starts.
She thus didn’t have the typical profile of a horse destined for the Eastern Cape but the move to Tara Laing looks to have been a shrewd one, with Star Burst Galaxy’s versatility on both racing surfaces the standout.
Easy to back at 2-1 in her local non black-type feature debut, she burst away from Maverick Girl over the final 200m of the 1300m event to win going away by 2,25 lengths in a time of 74,95 secs.
Runner-up Maverick Girl ran a gallant race to hold on for second in the widely recognisable red and yellow stripes of popular racing administrator, owner, breeder and Border and Eastern Cape cricketer, Peter Fenix, who passed away on Wednesday 11 January.
Lyle Hewitson and Maverick Girl ran a gallant second in the Peter and Val Fenix silks (Pic – Pauline Herman Photography)
The late Peter Fenix
The jockeys in this event wore black armbands as a mark of respect to one of the most well-known personalities in East Cape Racing.
Star Burst Galaxy was well ridden by the polished Gavin Lerena and was yet another feature success for the Team Tara – Mayfair Speculators combination.
Bred by Ian Heyns, Star Burst Galaxy is a daughter of Var out of the three-time winning Doowaley mare, Majestic Star.
She is a half-sister to Snaith’s promising recent Paddock Stakes fifth placer, Star Express.
She was purchased by Mayfair Speculators off the 2015 Emperors Palace Select Yearling Sale for R800 000. This third win with 5 places from her 8 starts has banked her total stakes of R208 025.
Alan Greeff was the most succesful trainer on the afternoon with a hat-trick of winners – with Greg Cheyne riding a double in the process.
