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Star Of Michelin on trial for winter carnival

5 March 2020

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By Glenn Davis

Trainer Stu Kendrick has no regrets about not chasing next week’s $300,000 QTIS Jewel with talented three-year-old Star Of Michelin and is hopeful the gelding can book a winter campaign at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Star Of Michelin will have his first start in more than a month in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap (1400m).

A son of Jet Spur, Star Of Michelin resumed after a spring break with a strong finishing second to the Team Edmonds-trained Baroda in a similar three-year-old race at Eagle Farm on February 1.

“I planned to run him two weeks ago but I wasn’t happy with his blood count that’s why he hasn’t raced for over a month,” Kendrick said.

“He’s always shown a lot of ability and there’s some really nice races coming up during the winter carnival for him if he stands up on Saturday.

“I had nominated him for a few races in Sydney this autumn but he won’t go.”

Kendrick was delighted with Star Of Michelin’s first run since August when he was narrowly beaten by Baroda.

“It was an excellent run,” Kendrick said.

“He didn’t have much luck and had to go back and raced wide.

“He finished really strongly and would have won in another couple of bounds.”

Kendrick believes a race like the Group 2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) at Eagle Farm during the winter would be an ideal target for Star Of Michelin, who has won two of his five starts.

He decided not to target the QTIS Jewel at the Gold Coast next week mainly because of the tight track and 1200 metres.

“He’s a QTIS horse so he’s eligible but I really didn’t give The Jewel that much thought,” he said.

“I just thought 1200 metres, especially around the Gold Coast, would be way too short for him.

“For the moment he’ll just target QTIS races but if he goes well on Saturday then I’ll look at the winter with him.”

Star Of Michelin was bred by the late Ross Cutts, best known as the owner-breeder of former Group 1 winner and champion sire Show A Heart.

Cutts, 78, died in Brisbane last October following heart surgery complications.

Star Of Michelin’s dam Conca Bella was unraced and was by Show A Heart, who stood at Glenlogan Park where he became one of the State’s champion sires for many seasons after his racetrack career ended with six wins and $2.3 million in prizemoney.

Star Of Michelin’s grand dam, Wabble is closely related to the Rob Heathcote-trained Woorim, winner of the 2012 Group 1 Oakleigh Plate at Caufield.

Racing Queensland webnews March 5