Trainer Mark Minervini may have stumbled on the edge he needs for consistent mare Star Impact to post a breakthrough city win at Kensington today.
Through washouts and wide barriers, Star Impact went five weeks between her resumption and her easy second-up win, so Minervini elected to keep her on the fresher side for The Agency Real Estate Handicap (1550m).
Sydney’s midweek meeting is on the Kensington surface at Randwick on Wednesday.Credit: Jenny Evans
It’s now been almost four weeks since she handled the jump from 1250m first-up to the mile at Newcastle with ease to post her fourth win for the stable.
“I thought she was very dominant, maybe in the past I’ve kept her a fortnight apart and that might have been too close,” Minervini said.
Aaron Bullock, injured in a race fall last week, has been on board the five-year-old in her past three wins, but with Nash Rawiller just three wins shy of James McDonald in the jockey premiership race, the trainer couldn’t think of a better replacement.
“Aaron has got the key to her, but he was going to go to Grafton before he got injured,” he said. “I’m sure Nash will give her every chance.”
He said he’d like to see a bit of tempo on early to allow Star Impact to relax off the speed and give Rawiller something to work with at the business end.
“When she jumped the other week I reckon after they’d gone two furlongs it was game over, she was never going to get beaten,” Minervini said.
“Hopefully there’ll be a good bit of speed and he can let it unfold, then chase them home.”
Source Agencies
