ASTERIA RUNS HER RIVALS RAGGED

By Graham Potter | Friday, March 31, 2023

On March 31, the David Vandyke stable rounded off a highly successful month in style when Asteria saluted in a Maiden Plate over 1100m at Ipswich.

You could almost set your clock by this tried and tested scrip.

A horse transfers from a stable down south to the warmer pastures of the Vandyke stable, is thoroughly assessed and well prepped with a couple of trials to make it race ready where it usually comes out at short-priced odds ... and wins!

Not that it gets boring if you are a follower of the Vandyke stable and, yet again, there was no deviation from the plan, or the outcome, with Asteria never being troubled at any stage as she cruised in by a comfortable 1.50 length margin at the restrictive odds of $1.45.

And it was an easy watch from the moment the field left the barriers.

Asteria jumped best of all with Jim Byrne immediately showing his intent to lead and, such was Asteria’s gate speed that she already had opened up a three length margin at the head of affairs after the field had only covered 200m ... and she continued to widen her advantage.

The lead was all of six ... then seven ... then eight lengths in the sweep to the home turn with the free-running Vandyke trained runner laying the law down to her rivals in no uncertain terms with the race effectively over as a contest long before the winning post.

The best of the chasers did close ground late, but they were really only competing for the minor placings as Byrne kept Asteria honest all the way to the line.

This first career win for asteria came in her fifth career start. She had previously raced four times ... for one third placing ... for Mark Newnham).