Astra could be a star back on home soil.

Winning three times and finishing in the place money on five other occasions from nine race starts in his first year of racing, Astra Star proved to be a more than handy competitor for his local ownership group.

The three-year-old returned to the races at the Sunshine Coast on 4 January and was far from disgraced in the Magic Millions Rising Star Class 4 Handicap (1300m). Now in the care of Kris Hansen, he makes his return to his home track, Callaghan Park on Thursday, racing in the Centre State Signs Class 3 Plate (1400m).

Formerly trained by Graeme Green, who retired late last year, Astra Star is raced by Green together with friends, Ron and Bev White and Maureen Olive.

The Cosmic Force gelding from a granddaughter of Redoute’s Choice, Al Nova, Astra Star was a $90,000 purchase by Green Racing from the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale Book 2. To date the galloper has earned $104,300 with a 30%-win strike and an 80% place strike. Astra Star has won twice in Rockhampton and once in Townsville with his best victory at Callaghan Park last May when he defeated I’lltellyougo and Amberinger in the $35,000 Great Northern 2YO Handicap (1100m). He also won over 1400m in Townsville last July.

Hansen has engaged Jackson Murphy for Thursday’s race which looks a nice target.

His main dangers will come from Matt Kropp’s 4YO Connewarra, the Toowoomba-trained race topweight to be ridden by Olivia Kendal and Kerrod Smyth’s 4YO local galloper Deciduous (Raul Silvera Olivera) who is close to another win after finishing runner-up twice at his last three Callaghan Park starts.

EARLY START ON THURSDAY PRAISED BY PARTICIPANTS

With a forecast temperature for Thursday of 39 degrees, and the hottest part of the day expected to be close to 2.00 pm, the RJC and other invested parties, including QRIC, the ATA and QJA communicated with Racing Queensland and it was decided that in the best interest of horse and participant welfare, all of the race times would be brought forward to a morning start of 9.30 am. Shorter gaps of 30 minutes are also scheduled between races to conclude the meeting by 1.05 pm in an effort to avoid the worst of the expected heat. Cool ice bins to hose off horses and complimentary bottled cold water will be in place for all participants in the horse stalls.

The Callaghan Park race program kicks off with the Great Northern Maiden Handicap (1400m) with all horses required on track 1 hour before the first race. Runners in all other races are required to be on course 90 minutes prior to their race.

BUTLER LOOKS SET TO CONTINUE HOT FORM

Jockey Ash Butler praised the decision to start the races early. “In these heat wave conditions that we are experiencing it’s definitely the right decision, particularly for the horses and the jockeys, everyone who will be out in the sun during the day,” Butler said. Butler has been in good form with 11 winners from his last 50 rides and has a good book of rides for this meeting.

He named the Nick Walsh trained Fortress Australia, raced by One Syndications as his best winning prospect. “He raced a bit fresh in Mackay and he will be an improved horse on Thursday,” he said. Fortress Australia has been sparingly raced with just eight starts beside his name. He made his first start for Walsh in Mackay on 3 January and was only just run down by Holy Crown in the 1300m Class 1 Plate.

The nicely bred bay by Fastnet Rock was formerly raced by Godolphin and trained by James Cummings. After commencing his career in Sydney, he was purchased from an online sale by One Syndications last September for $18,000.

• David Aldred (RJC CEO)