Trainer Gary Portelli will settle for a softer first-up option for Straturbo with the smart sprinter to be accepted for Moonee Valley instead of a black-type race at Rosehill.
Straturbo has been entered for the Listed Starlight Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday but Portelli is adamant an 1100-metre return at Listed level would be not in the horse’s best interests at the start of a campaign.
Instead, Straturbo will take on easier opposition in a 1000-metre race in Melbourne.
“The Starlight Stakes is shaping up to be a pretty hot race and it might be a bit of a test for him,” Portelli said.
Straturbo is one of 20 entries for the Moonee Valley scamper and he has 54kg with lightweight jockey Dean Yendall booked to ride.
Portelli said only a wide barrier would stop him sending Straturbo to Melbourne.
Straturbo will be having his first start failing on a heavy track at Randwick on August 23 but the five-year-old has won a 900m barrier trial in preparation for his return.
He is the winner of five races, the most recent over Queenian in a midweek race during the winter before losing form.
Ready To Rip, also a dual entry for the Starlight and Melbourne, is the 60kg topweight at Moonee Valley.
Portelli has called on leading Brisbane jockey Tim Bell to ride Cosmic Cameo, the trainer’s only Rosehill runner, in the benchmark 75 sprint.
Bell will be in Sydney to ride Villiers Stakes hopeful Sir Moments in the Festival Stakes.
“His manager contacted the stable looking for rides and with a lot of the other jockeys tied up to the bigger stables I thought it was good chance to put Tim on,” Portelli said.
Cosmic Cameo weakened out after leading when he resumed for seventh behind Dothraki at Rosehill last time out but takes a drop in class on Saturday.
