A lack of forecast rain in Queensland means The Monstar will head to Rosehill rather than the Sunshine Coast to try to make it back-to-back stakes wins.
Trained at Scone by Brett Cavanough, The Monstar was devastating in the June Stakes on a heavy Randwick track three weeks ago, winning by 5-3/4 lengths.
Cavanough accepted in both Saturday’s Glasshouse Handicap at the Sunshine Coast and the Civic Stakes at Rosehill where the track will be in the soft range.
“They didn’t get the rain they forecast at the Sunshine Coast so we have decided to come to Sydney,” Cavanough said.
“It doesn’t need to be a heavy 10 for him but he is better than many others when it is rain-affected.
“He showed that last time. He was a killing machine.”
Josh Adams rode The Monstar at Randwick but because of the indecision about where he would run, he took rides at Newcastle on Saturday.
Travis Wolfgram will be the eighth different jockey The Monstar has had in nine starts but that does not concern the trainer.
“I have a big jockey wheel and every one deserves a chance,” Cavanough said.
Sir Bacchus is the TAB’s early $3.80 favourite with The Monstar at $11 on Friday.
He has top weight of 59.5kg which is not so much a concern for Cavanough as making sure he is in the right frame of mind.
“There are two of him,” he said.
“Sometimes he does some childish things like he won’t go through horses.
“But he’s in fine fettle and has thrived since his last win so hopefully he can do it again.”
Although he has never run beyond 1200 metres, Cavanough doesn’t think the 1350 metres will be a problem and was prepared to run him over the 1400 of the Glasshouse.
Wolfgram is also booked to ride Al Cubana in the Highway Handicap (1800m) but Cavanough and the horse’s owners have yet to decide whether he runs from the second-widest barrier.
Stablemate Last Try Wins has drawn gate seven with Glyn Schofield to ride.
“I have to talk to the owners about whether we run Al Cubana,” Cavanough said.
