Second Time A Charm For Startron?

GROUP 1 winning trainer Wayne Vassallo will be hoping second time's a charm when his flying sprinter Startron tackles this Sunday's Group 3 SEN 1116 Healesville Cup Final (350m).

In 2018, the flashy brindle flyer qualified for the Healesville Cup decider finishing a creditable fifth behind Kouta Mayhem, with the 31-race winner progressing through to this year's finale with a slashing 18.97 heat win last Sunday.

"He's a dog that really needs to come out clean and not get bumped around early, that'll decide his chances," said his trainer Wayne Vassallo.

"They can seem to miss it off the red at Healesville which is a concern and ideally I'd have rather seen him draw the centre of the track but it's hard to complain with the one … he'll get his chance if he steps and does things right."

Winner at 31 of his 57 starts, Startron, a son of Dyna Tron and She's Our Caviar, couldn't have been more impressive winning his cup heat on Sunday, defeating Hot Jean by 3 ½ lengths in 18.97, just outside the 18.94 recorded by fastest qualifier Friday Frothies.

"He got drawn in one of the weaker heats but still had to take advantage of it which he did," Vassallo added.

"Going into the series Peter Galo, Time To Talk and Eye Got It looked three of the main hopes but didn't get through so it has opened up the final, there's a lot of chances and my dog is definitely one of them."

Startron's second Healesville Cup appearance this Sunday will be Vassallo's fifth starter in the straight track feature, following Transcend Time and Vapourash's unplaced efforts in 2014 and Nitro Cee's fifth placing behind El Brooklyn in 2013.

Bookmaker Beteasy has installed Startron a $3.00 favourite for the final ahead of the Anthony Azzopardi-trained Myrniong And All, quoted $4.20 from box eight.

Next in betting is NSW trainer Ron Marsden's star duo of Cee Jay's Boy (box 3) and Hardaway Titan (box 5), the litter-brothers quoted $4.50 and $5.50 respectively for Sunday's feature event.

Interestingly, the Kel Greenough-trained Friday Frothies is an $11.00 chance from box four, despite qualifying fastest with a slick 18.94 heat success.

And with so many chances heading into the $47,000 to-the-winner affair, Vassallo is remaining cautiously optimistic about his charge's chances which will be determined soon after box rise.

"He's got to do everything right early, he can't afford to put a foot wrong," Vassallo added.

"I've had to keep him to the straight and shorter races throughout his career because he hurt a metacarpal pretty badly at break-in and it's caused him issues getting around turns.

"He's going as good as ever and is a real chance – it will just come down to how he comes out and whether he gets to the front.

"To win he'll need to."