Runners & Results
Injury forces Astral Flame to the paddock
A niggling injury has halted Astral Flame’s impressive autumn campaign when she was on the verge of a Stakes win.
Astral Flame developed a splint (bone growth) on the outside of a foreleg after galloping brilliantly at Cranbourne as she prepared for the Group 2 Queen Of The South Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville in Adelaide.
The split, which was tender to touch but won’t have any long-term ramifications, had to be treated and caused her Adelaide trip to be aborted. Instead, the big 4YO mare will have an eight-week spell before she is prepared for some of the Group races for mares in the spring.
Astral Flame showed she was up to the grade when she finished second behind star mare Treasurethe Moment in the Group 2 Sunline Stakes (1600m) at Caulfield on March 21. Before that, she smashed the clock when she won a Benchmark 84 (1600m) mares’ race at Flemington on February 28.
She finished her preparation with a game fourth in the Listed Anniversary Vase (1600m, Caulfield), which was run in extremely wet conditions.
On her way to the paddock, Astral Flame “passed the baton” to her younger brother – 2YO bay gelding by Overshare from Antares – who returned to the Caulfield stable for a preparation that, hopefully, will take him to the trials and the races.
Astral Flame finished her first 12 months of racing with the impressive figures of 13 starts, four wins, six placings and $334,225 in prize money.
Caption: Astral Flame with Linda Williams and a happy group of owners after she won on Geelong Cup day in October.
