Wet track to drown out Star of Monsoon

Tuesday 25 April 2017, 5:32pm

Gerald Ryan's hopes of defending the Group Three Hawkesbury Guineas is weather dependent with Star of Monsoon to be scratched unless the track remains in the good range.

Despite his name, the three-year-old colt is not adept on wet tracks which have undermined his two previous starts this campaign.

After recording a third and consecutive seconds to close his last preparation in the spring, Star of Monsoon has floundered since resuming after a 20-week spell as Sydney was blighted by a damp autumn.

Star of Monsoon was sixth of 10 on heavy ground in the Listed Darby Munro Stakes at Rosehill on March 18 and then tailed the 12-strong field in the Group Two Arrowfield Sprint on Randwick's soft surface on April 8.

"He's just needs firm ground. If it's a wet track on Saturday I won't run him," Ryan said.

Hawkesbury was rated good on Tuesday and with no rain forecast for the remainder of the week, Ryan might have a runner to emulate Spill The Beans, who won last year's $200,000 Guineas (1400m).

Spill The Beans is now at stud at Aquis Farm in Queensland.

"The forecast is good after today. You need drying weather which we haven't been getting," Ryan said.

"You might have fine days but there's no wind. Heavy dews and no wind."

The Rosehill trainer was confident Star of Monsoon could bounce back and record his first win if conditions allowed.

"He's going good. He's been running in this class all his life and he's been competitive except for his last two starts."

The 16-strong field will be finalised on Wednesday.

Star Of Monsoon's stablemate Modha will not run in the Group Three Godolphin Crown with Ryan believing the race is likely to be too strong for the mare.

– AAP

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