The stars are aligning
GOLD Coast trainer Gary Doughty continues a longterm association with ownerbreeder Jan Clark when Starlighter chases back-toback wins at Aquis Park today.
Starlighter won her second race from 11 starts last time out in a Class 1 Handicap over 1800m at Aquis Park Gold Coast and she is one of the top fancies in today’s Galey, Mal & Moyra BenchMark 65 Handicap over the same distance.
Starlighter is the last progeny of her sire Starmaker and will wear the same white with a black crescent colours that Doughty wore when he rode Starmaker to victory many times in the mid to late 1990s.
“I rode her father (Starmaker) and I won nine races on him, including the Prime Minister’s Cup,” Doughty said.
“Starlighter is the last one of that breed … he only served the one mare that year.”
Doughty said his association with Jan Clark went back more than 20 years “which is great”.
The trainer is happy with Starlighter’s condition heading into today’s race but admits that jockey Luke
Dittman will need his fair share of luck in the early stages coming out of barrier six in the nine-horse field.
“I’m very happy with her, she has done well,” Doughty said. “She can pull a little bit and she needs to get cover.
“The other day from barrier one she just fell into the lovely run but from barrier six she will have to come back a bit to get in somewhere.
“Luke will get her covered up somewhere. She will be hard to beat. She will run a strong 1800m.”
Doughty, who thinks Starligher is due for a break after today, is keen to try her over more ground next preparation.
“I will have no problem taking her to 2000m, 2200m. It wouldn’t worry me at all,” he said.
Doughty said Starlighter was a slow beginner and the four-year-old mare didn’t break through for her Maiden win until start number eight and then claimed a second win at her 11th start.
“She hasn’t been far away her last four runs. She hadn’t done a real lot early and just whacked away,” Doughty said.
“She was a bit one batted and then all of a sudden with a bit more racing she started to accelerate.
“She has shown a lot more on the track recently and she is developing into a nice little staying filly.”