FORMER New South Wales pacer Star Chamber will be aimed at a couple of feature races in the coming months following his effortless all-the-way win in an open discretionary at Tattersall’s Park in Hobart on Sunday night.
The Nathan Ford-trained and driven gelding stepped brilliantly from the front line of the standing start and was never out of third gear as he gave his rivals a pacing lesson.
Star Chamber cruised to a 5.3 metre victory over Ardlussa Express with Udoit about four metres away third.
The gelding was first across the line at his previous outing in Launceston but was disqualified by stewards who deemed the gelding hade raced inside the marker pegs in the home straight and in doing so gained an unfair advantage.
At his two previous starts he tackled MO races at Melton in Victoria where he notched two minor placings.
“He did a good job in those two races at Melton and I have no doubt the interstate trip helped to toughen him up,” Ford said.
The trainer did not want to talk about the first run back from the interstate trip and preferred to focus on the gelding’s latest effort.
“This win was terrific and it was the way he went about his job that really impressed me.”
“He stepped well as he always does from a stand and it was just like a stroll around the training track,” he said.
Star Chamber meandered through his first half and came home his last 800 metres in 58.2 seconds for a mile rate of 2.04.1.
Ford purchased Star Chamber from NSW trainer Neil Day for $4000 an d he races the gelding in partnership with his fiancée Bianca Heenan and two of his best mates Jake Gillie and Josh Nelson.
The ease with which Star Chamber won at this latest outing has convinced Ford to raise the bar.
“His next start will be in the Cannonball Charge (1609m) in Hobart in four weeks.”
“When we bought this horse he was a C1 and he’s now a C7 and I am positive there is plenty of improvement in him.”
“We’ll raise the bar and aim him at the Cannonball Charge that is an open free-for-all and that will give us a good idea of where he fits into the bigger picture,” Ford said.
Provided Star Chamber at least holds his present form Ford also will aim the gelding at the Hobart Pacing Cup (C6 or better discretionary) series in January.