News

Star ready to shine at Scone

9th May 2010

Racing And Sports - Sunday, 9 May 2010

Trainer Todd Howlett is comfortable with his decision to bypass the Hawkesbury Guineas with Star Of Octagonal to concentrate on riches closer to home.

Howlett is confident the lightly-raced three-year-old is right on target for his assault on Friday's $770,000 Inglis Guineas (1600m) at Scone following a pleasing piece of trackwork at Newcastle on Saturday.

Galloping solo, Star of Octagonal worked over 1200 metres and Howlett said he would probably have a final hitout on Tuesday to round out his preparation.

"I was really pleased with his work and the horse is well," Howlett said.

"He will probably have another gallop on Tuesday and that's it."

Victorian-based Glen Boss will travel to Scone to renew his partnership with Star Of Octagonal after partnering him to victory in the Group Three South Pacific Classic (1400m) at Randwick last month.

Boss will be chasing his second feature race win in country NSW in the space of a week after claiming the Wagga Cup aboard Sainthood on Friday.

Howlett had toyed with running Star Of Octagonal in the Hawkesbury Guineas on May 1 but decided to miss that race to concentrate on Scone.

Neeson, who was runner-up to Star Of Octagonal in the South Pacific Classic, went on to win the Guineas by 4-1/2 lengths but Howlett said he was happy he did not run his charge.

"I'm very pleased we didn't end up going to Hawkesbury, Neeson won that race very well," said Howlett, who trains at Cessnock in the NSW Hunter region, about 100km south of Scone.

"The Scone meeting is a bit special.

"It would be a great day to win a race, there will be a lot of people there from my home town."

The Guineas will be Star Of Octagonal's final start this campaign and Howlett says the race is the culmination of a long-term plan hatched at the Scone meeting last year.

"He ran third in the two-year-old race 12 months ago and we thought then that we'd try to come back for the Guineas," Howlett said.

"He's not there yet but he's well on his way."

The Scone meeting also boasts the Listed Dark Jewel Classic (1400m) for fillies and mares along with the Listed Scone Cup (1600m) and the Inglis Challenge (1300m) for two-year-olds bought at the Scone sale a year earlier.

Stradbroke Handicap winner Black Piranha, on his way to Brisbane for a winter carnival campaign, is also set to be a major drawcard in the Scone Quality Hcp (1100m).

The gelding didn't make the trip south for the Wagga Town Plate last week after he received 66kg but under the quality handicap conditions of Friday's race will carry a maximum top weight of 61kg.