Star Of Octagonal is on target for stakes success at Hawkesbury on Saturday, two years after he was scratched as favourite from another feature at the provincial racetrack.Star Of Octagonal will line up in Saturday's Listed Rowley Mile (1600m) chasing his first stakes victory in two years.The Rowley Mile is one of three Listed races worth $150,000 on the Hawkesbury Race Club's annual metropolitan Saturday program along with the Hawkesbury Guineas and Darley Crown.The Todd Howlett-trained Star Of
Star Of Octagonal is on target for stakes success at Hawkesbury on Saturday, two years after he was scratched as favourite from another feature at the provincial racetrack.
Star Of Octagonal will line up in Saturday's Listed Rowley Mile (1600m) chasing his first stakes victory in two years.
The Rowley Mile is one of three Listed races worth $150,000 on the Hawkesbury Race Club's annual metropolitan Saturday program along with the Hawkesbury Guineas and Darley Crown.
The Todd Howlett-trained Star Of Octagonal was tipped as a star on the rise two years ago after winning the Group Three South Pacific Classic (1200m) at Randwick.
He was then favourite for the Listed Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m) but on race eve Howlett decided to bypass the event as he had eyes only for the lucrative Scone Guineas two weeks later which he duly won.
Star Of Octagonal failed to recapture his best form in the next 18 months but Howlett has been delighted with his current campaign which netted a Rosehill win in February and Group placings in the Newcastle Newmarket and Ajax Stakes.
Robert Thompson continues his association with Star Of Octagonal in the Rowley Mile where the five-year-old will carry 55kg.
"He's holding his form and I'm very happy with him," Howlett said.
Star Of Octagonal hasn't started for five weeks since his second to Niagara at Rosehill, but Howlett isn't concerned.
"There were a couple of races we were going to go for in between his last start and this one but the weather didn't suit us," Howlett said.
"I don't think it matters having a bit of time between runs.
"There was a race at Randwick the week before last but the track looked like it was going to be heavy. It ended up being a dead track but I'm not too worried about it anyway.
"He's going well and everything is good with him."
Foreteller, who is expected to run in the Group Two Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast on Saturday, heads the weights for the Rowley Mile with 60kg ahead of the Gai Waterhouse-trained duo of Fast Clip (59kg) and Western Symbol (57kg).
Fast Clip was a gallant fifth in the Group One Doncaster Mile last start while Western Symbol is set to drop back in distance after winning the Listed JRA Plate (2000m) on the same day.