Wet track specialist The Monstar scored an overdue all the way win in the Group 2 $175,000 Moreton Cup (1200m) at the Sunshine Coast last Saturday.
The Monstar, above, appreciated the soft track conditions in the Moreton Cup at the Sunshine Coast. Photo by Daniel Costello.
The Monstar was very much at home on the soft 6 rated Sunshine Coast track and showed plenty of determination to hold off the final attacks of Platinum Angel and Calanda to record his twelfth overall win and his ninth on a rain affected track.
Winning jockey Skye Bogenhuber was able to chalk up her first Group 2 success on the Brett Cavanough trained seven year old who hadn’t visited the winner’s stall since winning the Listed $150,000 June Stakes at Randwick twelve months ago.
“I can’t believe it. I came here thinking he could win, but never thought it would be that easy,” Bogenhuber said.
“It’s my first ever Group ride. I’ve won a Weetwood (Miss Imagica) and Cup (Bang On) at Toowoomba, I’ve ridden in a couple of Listed races in Brisbane, but never had the opportunity to get a Group ride, let alone a good ride like that.
“Brett rang last week before nominations and said there was a possibility he would bring it up. He wanted to see if it was going to be a wet track and I just said ‘I’m in.’ I said I don’t care if he’s only a 50 per cent chance of running. I will ride him.
“Luckily it was pretty soft all week.
“I do love him. I got a good association with him at track work when Brett moved up and had a satellite stable at Toowoomba.
“He’s a quirky horse, but the more I got to know him, the more I loved him. I love how tough he is.
“He’s such a genuine horse. A lot of old horses can get a bit cunning and don’t want to do it anymore, but he’s so mad and so tough! He’s a pleasure to ride.”
The Monstar was sent out as one of the fancies at $5 for the Moreton Cup and was able to hold on by a l0ng neck to claim victory over the $4.20 equal favourite Platinum Angel with Calanda ($7.50) a nose away in third position.
The Darren Weir trained Handsome Thief was the other equal favourite but was always near the tail of the field before finishing seventh.
