The Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) will be the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival target for progressive stayer Star Rolling.
Trainer Peter Morgan is hoping that progressive galloper Star Rolling can earn a start in the Caulfield Cup during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival. Photo by: Jenny Barnes
Star Rolling was set for the Caulfield Cup during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival, but was unable to earn a start in the Group 1 event and he performed well without winning during the 2014 Melbourne Festival Of Racing.
The Casino Prince gelding finished in the placings in both the Group 3 Carlyon Cup (1600m) at Caulfield on February 8 and the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) at the same venue on February 22, but Morgan told Racing Ahead that he was never 100 percent happy with Star Rolling during his autumn campaign and is hoping that the rising five-year-old can return to his best in the spring.
“He is coming along really good and I am really happy with him,” Morgan said.
“I think that he was a better horse in the spring when we couldn’t get runs and I was never 100 percent happy with him in the autumn, but I think at the moment he is back to where I had him last spring.
“He has grown since the autumn.
“Last year the plan was the Caulfield Cup and hopefully we can get that way again this year.”
Star Rolling was included in the nominations for the 1000 metres handicap at Moonee Valley on Saturday, but Morgan said that the Listed winner is no certainty to return to the races in the $80,000 event.
Morgan also entered Star Rolling for the barrier trials that are set to take place at Cranbourne on Monday morning and he will likely take that route with the talented galloper and set him for a first-up tilt at the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 16.
“I am not sure he is running on Saturday yet, we are just taking a bit of an each-way bet to see whether it rains too much and the trials are off on Monday,” Morgan said.
“We are just going to see what happens.
“If he doesn’t run this weekend he will probably trial Monday and have his first-up run in the Liston.”
Star Rolling has had just 11 race starts since making his racing debut in April last year and has accumulated over $220,000 in prizemoney for connections.
