When the nominations were originally released for the Listed Santa Ana Lane Sprint Series Final the numbers were a little light on, so John Moloney took the opportunity to enter his mare Hearcomesthestar for a crack at a black-type win.
The four-year-old is the outsider of the field – not quite emulating the similarly worded lyrics of Ross D Wylie’s 1969 music chart topping hit The Star – but with a record of five wins and as many placings in 21 starts, the daughter of Zoustar can be in the mix as far as her trainer is concerned.
Moloney has done his homework for the 1200-metres listed event and gives the impression she can be a better chance than her $16 quote suggests.
“When she ran fourth at Flemington last start in the benchmark 90, they didn’t run that much slower than they did in the straight six handicap,” Moloney said with reference to the mare’s last start outing at Flemington on June 21.
“If you scale it back on weights and measures, which everyone likes to do, it means she would have been competitive in that under the weight scale that she’ll carry – 54 kilos – on Saturday.”
Having won and placed on soft tracks in the past, Moloney believes that the track, distance and conditions will not be against the four-year-old.
“She’s in good order, so why not?”
The Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin-trained Marble Nine who is shooting for three wins in succession is the race favourite at $3.20.
