Top sprinter on track for Railway

Top sprinter Sacred Star is on the right track for a fresh-up tilt at the Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.

Sacred Star hasn’t raced since a three-start Queensland winter carnival campaign 16 months ago, but he proved at Tuesday’s Matamata trials that he had lost none of his talent.

It was Sacred Star’s second trials outing since he last raced and he showed improvement on his unplaced trials effort at Cambridge earlier this month. Contesting an open 1000-metre heat, Sacred Star was always travelling well for rider Troy Harris back in fifth or sixth position and he was allowed to coast to the line when finishing fourth to Solomon.

‘‘He just cruised up on his own,’’ Harris said. ‘‘He felt great.’’

Trainer Tony Pike was also thrilled with the hit-out and quick to give him the tick of approval to press on towards a Railway start.

‘‘He’ll have a go at the Railway fresh-up,’’ Pike said. ‘‘He was fresh-up when he won the Telegraph (in 2015) and the set weights of the Railway will suit him. Instead of carrying 59 kilos he will get in on 55 and that’s a nice weight for him.

Sacred Star was also fresh-up when he contested last year’s Gr.1 Railway and he produced a good effort for fourth to Ryan Mark. The son of Flying Spur was the New Zealand Champion Sprinter of the Year for 2014-15 as a result of his Group One double in the Telegraph (1200m) and NRM Sprint (1400m). Sacred Star won once in his last domestic campaign.