Cosmonaut gets on the star craft

The Cummings stable’s high opinion of Starcraft ‘s powerfully built son Cosmonaut was evident from the beginning of his career in August 2010, when he ran fourth in Sydney in a maiden race won by Ilovethiscity. His next five appearances were all in black type races, including the Caulfield Guineas G1 at his fourth start, and the Victoria Derby G1 at his sixth start.

Pictured: Cosmonaut on Caulfield Guineas Day, 9 October 2010. (PHOTO: Bronwen Healy)

Cosmonaut neither won nor placed in any of these races, but was not disgraced either, finishing 7th in Anacheeva’s Guineas and 8th in Lion Tamer’s Derby. Now a gelding, he has taken a lower road this spring, and made his 4YO debut on 1 September at Seymour, where he finished fourth. Yesterday he lined up over 1500 metres at Ballarat and signalled his time may finally have arrived with an easy five-length win.

Bred by Strawberry Hill Stud from the winning Zabeel mare Julez, Cosmonaut was a $110,000 Bart Cummings purchase from the 2009 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and is raced by his trainer, with Mr M W O’Keeffe, Ms V J King, Aston Bloodstock and Mrs R J Mula.

The 2011 spring plan for Cosmonaut is no less ambitious than the 2010 version. He is one of only five nominations by the legendary Cups King for the 2011 Melbourne Cup.