Castro is on track to final
TRAINER Alan Hunter will set his sights on the $200,000 The Melbourne Cup Carnival Country Series Final at Flemington on Oaks Day with Astro Castro.
The five-year-old made a successful return at Geelong this week with a gutsy first-up second over 1200m.
Hunter will head to Cranbourne on Friday for the first heat of the series as he looks to map a path to Flemington.
“It’s a BM64 at Cranbourne, but we’re not sure if we will get in,” Hunter said.
“It’s a bit sooner than what we wanted, but it’s a race we need to target because it’s the best way for us to get in.
“If he wins or runs second, we are certain of a run in the final and then we can find something else.
“I took him to the track (yesterday) morning and he has come through the run super.”
Astro Castro stunned punters with a win at Flemington at 100-1, but hasn’t hit the same heights since that debut.
He was booked in for a wind operation after two disappointing runs, the first in the Group 3 Bobbie Lewis and then at Geelong in a BM70 race.
Astro Castro seemed on edge after that operation and was put back in the paddock.
“He’s just a completely different horse now,” Hunter said.
“When we went to Bendigo after the operation, he was out of control.
“He was trying to charge out of the stalls, he was striking out, he was an absolute pig.
“We gave him a good let-up and he’s been a completely different horse.”
Astro Castro’s return on Wednesday has Hunter confident he is on the right path with the stable star.