The Monstar lines up in Saturday's Hawkesbury Gold Rush
Veteran sprinter The Monstar is ready to begin another long campaign after impressing Scone trainer Brett Cavanough as he works back into race mode.
Although the seven-year-old gelding prefers soft or heavy ground, Cavanough has earmarked Saturday’s Listed Hawkesbury Gold Rush (1100m) as the starting point of a preparation planned to go through until spring.
“He was first-up in the (Doomben) 10,000 last year and then he raced right through to the spring carnival. Not much is going to change. We’ll probably go down that path again,” Cavanough said.
“He’s got a good first-up record, and he’s done a fair bit of work at home. He’s prepped up for a nice run.”
The Monstar headed for the paddock after an unplaced run in the Listed Razor Sharp Quality (1200m) in mid-December ended a 10-race preparation.
Cavanough prefers not to trial his horses and is relying on The Monstar’s effort and demeanour at home to prove he is happy to press on.
“He’s just one of those high energy horses,” Cavanough said.
“He’s a bit of a mental case but he’s just the best doer. He travels, he eats and he’s just one of those blokes who doesn’t sleep much.”
Cavanough had hoped to bring The Monstar back before the Hawkesbury stand-alone meeting, but a paddock mishap meant a delay.
“We had an electrical storm and he ran into a tree and he knocked a bit of skin off his hip so that put me back five or six weeks,” Cavanough said.
Now he is hoping for rain to return although the wet track specialist has won three times on ground in the good range.
“Everywhere I’ve gone with him, I’ve caused a drought. I guess we’ll just follow the rainbow,” Cavanough said.
Ideally The Monstar will progress to the Listed Ortensia Stakes (1100m) at Scone on May 12.
“He’s a Listed winner, that’s his grade,” Cavanough said.
