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SCMP Reporter

INDIAN champion Astonish flopped behind outsider Concert Boss in yesterday's $1.35 Centenary Vase as the Derek Cruz stable returned to form with a vengeance.

 But don't give up on Astonish, backed down to 2-1 favourite for yesterday's feature event.

 The Indian Triple Crown winner had the most genuine excuses for his failure - his bit slipped through his mouth on the first bend leaving jockey Darren Gauci at a considerable disadvantage for most of this 2,200-metre contest.

 Astonish eventually came home sixth of the nine runners behind Concert Boss who held Grey Linnet and Wonderful World by three-quarters of a length and a short head.

 Concert Boss was ending a luckless streak for English jockey Gary Carter who was partnering his first winner in 52 rides.

 Derek Cruz, absent looking for new horses in New Zealand, immediately sent out Allegresse to take the seventh event for a race-to-race double.

 He was the first Derek Cruz-trained winner in over year to be ridden by his brother, local idol, Tony Cruz.

 The double took Derek Cruz to 10 winners for the season but he has a long way to go to equal his score of 36 from last term.

 ''That's more like it,'' smiled Carter as he left the track following his 34-1 success on Concert Boss.

 ''I'd been wondering where my next winner was going to come from and here it is.

 ''Mind you, when we went for a run at the top of the straight I thought the best we were going to do was finish third as Swept Away drifted out and didn't do me any favours.

 ''But I was in there and kept persevering and my horse responded well. This kind of trip is what he's always wanted.

 ''I thought he was beginning to come back to himself in his trackwork and I'd like to see him over even farther.

 ''The maximum trip of 2,450 metres probably isn't even far enough for him. He's the kind of horse in England that you'd be preparing for something over 21/2 miles.''   Gauci was relieved to even get round on Astonish who jumped to the front and led the field into the first bend.

   It was here that the bit went through his mouth and Gauci said: ''I was thinking we weren't even going to complete.

  ''He was hanging on that first bend and then down the back he started to pull himself up. He only kept going when he heard the others coming behind him.''    David Hill's Fortune Leader was the only horse seriously backed in the race to beat Astonish.

   But he found the lack of pace against him. Mick Kinane was hard at work on Fortune Leader from the bottom bend and they eventually finished a well-beaten fifth.

   Hill said: ''The lack of pace was very much against my horse. He also had a lot of weight to carry with 140 pounds.

  ''If it had been a truly-run race I'm sure he would have been right there.''    The lack of speed was dramatically illustrated by the race time of two minutes 19.7 which is fully 3.3 seconds slower than the Class One standard time for 2,200 metres.

   Grey Linnet benefitted considerably from the move back up in distance to run second under crack apprentice Francis K.S. Lam.

   He had earlier found 1,900 metres too short and could get away with another race, especially when put back over 2,400 metres at Happy Valley or 2,450 metres at Sha Tin.

   Allegresse made use of a crazy early pace to give Tony Cruz his first winner back for his brother, Derek, since they ironed out their family differences.

   Top News went very fast in front under maximum-claiming apprentice Simon 'Hong Kong' Yim.

   They were chased all the way by the Basil Marcus-ridden Stellar Express who, in the circumstances, did well to stay on and finish such a close-up fourth.

   Stellar Express was allowed no respite and it was no accident that the first three home all came from off the pace.

   Tony Cruz allowed Allegresse to lob along in fourth spot, some five lengths or more off the speed for much of the way.

   Runner-up Colour Picture made up an enormous amount of ground, having turned for home with only a couple behind him.

   Tung Feng, who ran third, was also a long way back in the early stages before running home strongly.

   Tony Cruz said: ''That's really pleasing. I've been wanting to ride Derek a winner as soon as possible and I've done it on only my third ride back for him.''    Allegresse appreciated the move to 1,400 metres and could even stay a mile.

   Invincible made it two wins in succession with a decisive decision over Wong Tang-ping's improving Manley's Star in the fourth for David Oughton and Mick Kinane.

   Kinane sent Invincible to the front some 200 metres out and while Manley's Star looked dangerous, he could never peg back the winner.

   The move up to a mile suited Manley's Star and he should get even farther.



Concert Boss plays the right tune to Astonish