Gallant Star may be yet to score this preparation, but trainer Brett Robb believes the consistent gelding has earned his chance in Saturday’s $500,000 Lakes Mile at Wyong.
The Dubbo-trained son of Zoustar will be having his fifth run of the campaign when he steps out in the 1600-metre feature.
A first-up second in the $2 million The Kosciuszko (1200m) set the tone for another strong preparation, and Gallant Star again performed with credit when narrowly beaten into third by Lakes Mile favourite Know Thyself at Randwick on December 20.
“The last couple of starts we’ve been happy with him and have been aiming for this one since,” Robb said.
“We’ve been looking to step him up to the mile and I think we’ve found the right race to do it.”
Braith Knock will take the ride on Gallant Star, who carries 54kg and will jump from barrier 10 in a field of 14 plus one emergency, headed by the Bjorn Baker-trained Robusto (61kg) and Amor Victorious (59kg).
The Lakes Mile will be Gallant Star’s first attempt at 1600 metres, with his only previous run beyond 1400m resulting in a fifth placing, beaten three lengths, in the Group 3 Festival Stakes (1500m) on November 29, a race won by subsequent The Ingham winner Yorkshire.
That effort is one of only two occasions Gallant Star has finished outside the top four in 22 starts, the other being a sixth placing in the 2024 The Kosciuszko, a record that gives Robb confidence there is more upside to come.
“Every time I think he’s just about found his level he steps up,” Robb said.
“Every time he goes out and comes back, he just keeps getting better and better with age.
“You look at his record and he’s never gone out there and run a bad race.”
Markets are open with leading Australian betting sites for the Lakes Mile, giving punters plenty of options ahead of the Wyong feature.
A $200,000 Inglis Classic yearling originally trained by Annabel and Rob Archibald, Gallant Star joined Robb’s stable after being sold unraced for $32,500 via Inglis Digital in February 2022 and has since earned just over $1.2 million.
Former Test cricketer and media personality Kerry ‘Skull’ O’Keeffe is among Gallant Star’s owners, reflected by the skull motif on his racing colours, and Robb said O’Keeffe is keen to be on track.
“I was talking to him the other day, and he’ll definitely be making his way down,” Robb said.
The post Skull’s Star chases big money at Wyong first appeared on Just Horse Racing.
