Brett Cavanough has renewed his plea for summer rain to enhance The Monstar’s chances of winning back-to-back Razor Sharp Handicap’s when racing returns to Randwick.
The seven-year-old gelding has won three times on good tracks but the preference is for the 43-race veteran to run when the sting is out of the ground.
Cavanough pulled The Monstar from the Listed Starlight Stakes at Rosehill on December 2 when not enough rain failed to materialise before the meeting and he is again prepared to scratch this weekend.
“I see there’s a few mills forecast, we’ll keep and eye on the weather and with Randwick being a bit close to the coast it might be more forgiving than Rosehill,” he said.
The Scone-based trainer would also consult with Randwick racecourse manager Nevesh Ramdhani, who is preparing the track for its first meeting since October 28.
“I’ll find out what’s he’s doing to it. If there’s good grass cover and it’s not a road he still might go,” he said.
The Monstar has not raced since a last-start third in the Group Two Multiplier Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on November 4 – on a good track – and Cavanough says the sprinter is primed for a strong performance.
The Monstar won last year’s Listed Razor Sharp (1200m) on a soft track and had one more run before a spell that preceded this consistent preparation.
He resumed in Brisbane in May and has only placed outside the top four once in nine starts.
“He’s been in a long time and he’s pretty much ready to go, we just need things in our favour,” Cavanough said.
