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By Geoff Newling

Brett Cavanough can only remember The Monstar ever starting once before in 37 starts at Rosehill Gardens but that’s where his six-year-old gelding The Monstar is headed on Saturday.

The Scone trainer decided on a Sydney start for his last start June Stakes winner after tossing up a run in Saturday's Glasshouse Stakes at the Sunshine Coast, but will now head to the $150,000 Listed Civic Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill with the California Dane gelding.

“I’m going to Sydney,” Brett Cavanough said today. “He won on this day (Glasshouse) at the Sunshine Coast last year too.”

The Monstar has been a stable favourite ever since he won his maiden at Gundagai in November 2013. From there he worked his way through his country grades to becoming a city-class horse with two Listed wins at Randwick (Razor Sharp and June Stakes).

A start in the Ramornie Handicap (at Grafton) “might also be on his radar”, Brett Cavanough said.

Cavanough will also be represented in the $60,000 TAB Highway Handicap (1800m) at Rosehill by Al Cubana and Last Try Wins. Al Cubana has been placed in two previous Highway Handicaps but drew barrier 17.

“We’ll have to negotiate with the owners if they want to start,” Brett Cavanough said. Last Try Wins drew barrier seven and will be ridden by Glyn Schofield.

While The Monstar “loves wet tracks” Cavanough is hoping for a bit of rain in Sydney but he feels for country clubs such as Tamworth who have a big eight-race Showcase on Friday meeting affected by the weather.

“It’s a shame for the clubs to have a big day like this affected by the weather,” he said. “It is winter though and I suppose we have to accept the wet tracks. I did have a stint in Queensland dodging the weather last year.”

Based at Albury until his move to Scone a few months back, he is starting to make his presence felt across the region. The Monstar’s June Stakes win at Randwick has been his biggest success so far.

At Albury he had between 60-80 horses in work and at this stage has 46 in work at Scone. While he has enough work riders he’s chasing more ground staff to help out with the day-to-day running of his Scone stable.

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Rosehill Gardens here