As Shane Nichols prepares I Am A Star for another big spring, a stablemate of the Group One winner has started to live up to his trainer’s opinion with a fast-finishing win at Sandown.
Two-year-old Fully Maxed firmed from $31 to $14 for Wednesday’s Yarramalong Racing Club Handicap (1000m) and finished strongly under apprentice Jack Martin to win by 2-1/4 lengths.
It was the second win from six starts for the gelding who broke his maiden at Seymour in March before being spelled after jarring up in the Mornington Sires (1500m) when unplaced on March 25.
“We’ve always had a big opinion of him,” Nichols said.
“I probably didn’t think he would be quite as far off them at the half-way mark today but he’s always shown us heaps and I think he’s improved a bit.”
Fully Maxed beat Breeders’ Plate placegetter Bowerman with another 2-1/4 lengths to Aggravate third.
Nichols said the addition of a cross-over noseband to the gelding’s gear before his Seymour maiden win had been important.
“He’s just taken a bit of working out because he hadn’t really raced truly and wanted to over-race,” Nichols said.
“The cross-over noseband has been the key to him, just to get him to settle and finish off.”
Nichols believes there is improvement to come from Wednesday’s run and Fully Maxed might earn a crack at an early spring stakes race for three-year-olds.
Myer Stakes winner I Am A Star is on target to resume at Flemington on August 12 or Caulfield a week later.
I Am A Star had six autumn starts, winning twice at Group Two level and was spelled after her third in the Robert Sangster Stakes in Adelaide on May 6.
“She looks the best she has looked after coming in after a break,” Nichols said.
“I’m not sure when she’ll trial but we’ll decide as we get a bit closer whether we go to the Aurie’s Star Handicap or Regal Roller Stakes first-up.”
