Arabella Star had a number of suitable options closer to home over the new year period, but trainers Tony and Calvin Mcevoy have selected an interstate race as the most suitable to chase win number two.
The daughter of Star Turn will head to Gawler and contest Saturday’s $55,000 Kingsford Hotel Class 1 Handicap (1107m).
The three-year-old was an acceptor for a $22,000 benchmark 56 at Echuca on New Year’s Eve and was also entered for Saturday night’s Cranbourne program, but Calvin McEvoy said the bigger prizemoney of the Adelaide race won out.
“We thought it was a similar strength of race as Echuca but worth three times the money and, also, we’re trying to get her to become a metro winner,” he said.
“She’s going well at home, she’s still working it all out, but we were keen to take her over and have a go.”
The Gawler event will be Arabella Star’s fifth start and first since a fourth placing, beaten 2-1/4 lengths, in BM64 company at Sandown on December 10.
The start prior she defied a noted betting drift – $4.80 out to $9 – to break her maiden in style at Kilmore on Cup Day.
Arabella Star will start from barrier two on Saturday, with Rochelle Milnes to ride, and McEvoy said her chances could come down to the start.
“She does begin a little bit slower out of the machine, so hopefully if she if she begins nicely she’s got the necessary speed.”
Arabella Star holds down the second line of betting in the Kingsford Hotel Handicap behind the Phillip Stokes-trained Harmonic Dancer, who will start from barrier eight with Connor Murtagh to ride.
