David Geall will take aim at back-to-back victories in the Hobart Thousand (461m) on Thursday night with recent NSW import Starline Express, one of five Victorians lining up in Australia’s oldest Group 1 event.

In what would be a unique feature double, Geall is also a member of the Total Container Solutions syndicate, which has chosen Hector Fawley to fill its slot in The Phoenix at The Meadows on Saturday night.

Geall’s immediate focus is on celebrating consecutive victories in Tasmania’s only G1 race after veteran Fernando Mick claimed the 2022 Thousand, incredibly at his 92nd start.

Starline Express, a son of champion sire Fernando Bale, as is Fernando Mick and Geall’s 2021 Thousand placegetter Ferdinand Boy, produced by far his best effort in four starts for the champion Lara trainer in last Thursday’s heats.

“He’s due to get out like a rocket, so hopefully he can do it on Thursday night.”

After finishing unplaced in prelude (6^th) and heat (8^th) of the Melbourne Cup at his previous two starts, Starline Express was a 25.78sec winner on debut at Hobart, the brilliant frontrunner’s 12^th win from 28 starts.

“He had a couple of issues and did take a little while to settle in,” Geall explained.

“We ran out of time to trial him at Hobart, but I did like his run last week.

“He only jumped fair, but he used that really good turn of foot. He’s due to get out like a rocket, so hopefully he can do it on Thursday night.”

Victorian-trained sprinters won four of the six Thousand heats.

Also successful were Got Attitude (25.65sec), trained by dual Thousand winner Jason Thompson, Tom Dailly’s Shima Shadow (25.72sec), and Crackerjack Bull (26.01sec), prepared by Jordan Cooper.

Crackerjack Aret, Crackerjack Boom’s litter and kennel mate, also advanced after finishing runner-up to fastest qualifier Rojo Diamond (25.58sec).

After drawing box two for Thursday night’s $100,000 to-the-winner decider (race 8, 9.51pm) Starline Express is $7 in Sportsbet’s market, with fellow Vic Got Attitude (box 1) $3.20 favourite.

Starline Express is chasing his first Group trophy at his second appearance at G1 level; he was runner-up in the National Derby at Wentworth Park in January, also ran second in the G3 Grafton Cup and was a finalist in the G2 Queensland Derby and G3 Launching Pad.

“The draw hasn’t been favourable to us,” Geall said.

“I see he’s never won off the inside, from box one (2 starts) or two (3 starts), which is a bit surprising for a dog that’s known for his early speed.

“His owners seem to think he needed to draw six, seven or eight. He likes to come across other dogs, rather than push underneath them.

“I still give him a good chance. I’m expecting he can lead and then it depends how close Crackerjack Boom, and Crackerjack Aret for that matter, are, because they’re very strong. We probably need to find another three lengths.”

Hector Fawley will represent Total Container Solutions in The Phoenix 📷 Clint Anderson

On Saturday night at The Meadows, Geall, a dual Melbourne Cup-winning trainer, finds himself in an unusual feature race scenario in The Phoenix.

Geall is part of the Total Container Solutions group that selected Hector Fawley (box 2) for the world’s richest race, with the Lisa Cockerell-trained powerhouse the medium of heavy support into $4.50 after a favourable inside draw.

“I think Hector Fawley has drawn really well,” Geall said.

“Hopefully he can get a sit behind them on the first corner.

“We had a runner in the first Phoenix (Koblenz) and it’s exciting to be involved again. But there isn’t the same pressure as when you’re training them yourself.

“Good friends of ours, Jason and Jessica Sharp, have Morton in the (G1) Silver Chief, and we’ll have a couple of nice ‘Monelli’ dogs in ourselves, so we’re really looking forward to the night.

“If we could win The Phoenix, I’d only need to win an Irish or English Derby and I could retire a happy man. And that’s something we are looking into!”