Brett Cavanough would be the first to admit that 6YO gelding, The Monstar, has his share of foibles, but believes his speedy performer was a deserving winner of Saturday’s Listed Green Options Racing Razor Sharp (1200m) at Randwick.
“He (The Monstar) has won seven from 12 on soft tracks and doesn’t like it when the going is too firm,” Cavanough explains. “We lost a whole prep after he jarred up badly a while back and I originally had high aims for him but had to back off a bit.
“He’s done a lot of travelling this horse. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and he’s run up against some very good horses along the way. Horses that have gone on to win Group Ones: he only got beaten a length behind Silver Slipper winner, Headwater, in Sydney earlier this year and was a lip away from The Quarterback who went on to win the Newmarket two starts later.
“Trouble is, he can be a bit of a nutcase. He’s a sheep around the stables, but as a young horse he was the worst box walker you’ve ever seen when you’d take him to the track. Peter Snowden said to me one day, ‘it’s a good thing he can gallop’!
“That said, it was a top win in the Razor Sharp and he’s now won 10 of 33 starts with a further eight placings and nearly $400,000 in prizemoney.”
The Monstar was bred at Paul Higgins’ Baerami Thoroughbreds which also stood the sprinter’s speedily inclined sire, California Dane.
A multiple Group Two winner by Danehill, the now deceased California Dane has produced six stakes winners including 2016 Group One Manikato Stakes victor, Rebel Dane.
“I had sent two of my staff up to Baerami and they brought back a truckload of the California Danes – around five or six – as I had agreed to lease them from Paul (Higgins),” Cavanough points out. “Some of them have gone alright too. Couple of winners.
“The Australian polocrosse player, Jake Capewell, breaks in our horses and, anyway, he came in one day and said ‘that horse over there is your next star’ and pointed at The Monstar.
“And that’s how the horse got his name because I turned around to Jake and said: ‘Star! Are you kidding me? More like a Mon-star!’.”
Albeit the only black typer from the Brocco mare, Sirocco Mist, The Monstar is a full or half brother to five other winners including 2016 Morphettville winner, Usain Dane.
The Monstar’s third dam is All Song, dam of eight winners including 4-time Group One winner, All Our Mob, another Group One winner in All Time High and the Group Two winning sprinter, All Archie.
