Peter Morgan’s frustrations at not being able to get Star Rolling into his preferred races has prompted the trainer to look to a provincial event on Thursday.
Star Rolling, a horse Morgan is trying to get to the Caulfield Cup, has a low rating and will go around in a $30,000 benchmark 78 at Ballarat on Thursday over 1600m.
An impressive winner of two off-season races for three-year-olds over 2000m at Flemington in June, four-year-old Star Rolling has been balloted out of two races Morgan had hoped to run him in so far in the new season.
Morgan wanted to start the gelding in a 1500m handicap at Moonee Valley on August 24 but was forced to instead run him in a 1200m event on the same day, where he beat just two home, because he didn’t gain a start over the longer journey.
Star Rolling was also balloted out of the Listed Heatherlie Handicap (1700m) on Memsie Stakes day at Caulfield on August 31.
“He’s going to Ballarat on Thursday,” Morgan said.
“It’s the only place I’ve got to go. He’s going great and I’d love to be coming to town with him but I’ve been getting balloted out.
“We’ll take him there on Thursday, see what happens and then we’ll go from there.”
Morgan said gaining a start in the Caulfield Cup was still the target but if it doesn’t happen he’s confident the horse will get his time to shine later in the season.
“I think he’s a very good horse. For a horse that’s going to get 2000 metres and gallop like he does, he’s above average,” Morgan said.
“If we don’t (get into the Caulfield Cup) it doesn’t matter. We’ve got the autumn and we’ll be patient.”
