Feature Maiden series’ are notoriously hard to get a handle on with many of the runners either arriving on track with little exposed form or presenting with loud whispers in tow following sparkling trial performances.
Here’s the good oil on a few of the fancies heading into the three heats of the $20,000 Robert Smith Memorial Maiden series on Saturday night at The Gardens:
The Spruik | Half-sister to Embrace (who ran second in the race in 2022) and is a G1 Peter Mosman Opal winner
The Quotes from Craig | “Euphoria’s form isn’t overly exciting, but she is my main hope and she’s probably two lengths better to the first mark than my other one (Prowess). Drawing Box 1 helps and if she puts it all together she should run well.”
“She’s just come back from a little procedure with her tonsils and hopefully that might be the answer to why she hasn’t been finishing off her races. I was disappointed with her Bulli run [in January] so I bit the bullet and got this procedure done on her. It’s been a bit of a rush job between that and the heats of this race but she’s trialled well, the 515m is a query though.”
“She’s out of the same dam as Embrace and Embrace can still run well without a lot of work in the lead up so I’m hoping Euphoria is similar. My biggest concern is what Sapphire Banner does from Box 2. She’s only had a few starts but she looks to jump out of the boxes and go left so drawing alongside her is a query, but I know my bitch will run a very straight line. I’m getting ahead of myself because we’ve heard the wraps on the Carruthers dog and Kenny Burnett’s as well.”
The Runner | Kelly Bolt
The Trainer | Stu Hazlett
The Breeding | Beast Unleashed x Zipping Kelly The Spruik | Litter sister to Nad Al Sheba (2024 ‘The Collerson’ winner) and kennel ran third with Has Ability in the race last year
The Quotes from Stu | “We’re not full of confidence because she’s never been to The Gardens and she’s still pretty green. She’s a sister to Nad Al Sheba and Blue Goose Boy but she’s not in that class.”
“She does run over the top of the other two of ours that are in the heats of the race though but we think she’s a stayer in the making. She’s a lovely big bitch, quite leggy, but we need to get race fitness and experience into her. There was only 16 nominations when we threw her in and the smaller field will help her.”
The Quotes from Ken | “He went 4.96 to the first mark and 29.24 in his first look at The Gardens so he can run. He trialled with three other dogs as well and copped a bit of a check but still balanced up pretty well. He also trialled 29.59 at Dapto in his first ever 500.”
“I’m happy with his progress and I think he could be one that can make the next level. He’s different to anything I’ve ever had and even though it’s early days, I’m slightly excited about him. The minute a good one shows up, everyone knowsm but I really would just like the dog to do it on the track and then I’m happy for everyone to talk about him.”
The Runner | Blue Kermaro
The Trainer | Gary Stewart
The Breeding | Barcia Bale x Kermaro
The Spruik | Litter brother to Off The Richter (2024 Summer Six-Hundy Runner-Up)
The Quotes from Gary | “I trialled him at The Gardens and he went OK considering it was his first time around the track. He sort of skidded through the catching pen a little bit but he’ll be better for that run.”
“He walked out in his first start at Gosford and I’m not sure why because he’s been getting out quick in his trials. He should run a straight line to the first turn but he does look like he might be better over further like his brother, Off The Richter.”
“I hadn’t seen the likes of [Jason] Magri or Minnie [Finn] or [Peter] Lagogiane trialling in the weeks leading into the race with any of their flying machines so it looked like a good series to throw him into. I’ve heard Ken Burnett’s dog has been going alright so we might be able to follow it out in the heats.”
The Spruik | Litter brother to Not Without (undefeated in six starts including 29.34 PB at Richmond)
The Quotes from Jane | “He’s had two trials out of the boxes up there and he can be a bit tardy early but he’s still learning. He ran pretty well in his first look and then went a bit slower second time around but you won’t get a price for him because of what his brother has done (Not Without). I think they’re pretty much on par with one another.”
“We were hoping this litter would be good and his brother is certainly going well. This guy had a big of shin stress, probably because they run so fast, so he’s taken a bit longer to get to the races. He ran a good a post to post at Wentworth Park a few weeks ago though and we’d always planned for this decent maiden with one of this litter if they were ready.”
The Runner | Subsonic
The Trainer | Ben Sweetman
The Breeding | Fernando Bale x Keydra
The Spruik | Half-brother to Need A Margarita (29.25 winner at The Gardens in third career start)
The Quotes from Ben | “He’s probably the pick of my two in the series and he goes good without being outrageous. He’s not brilliant early but he’s better than his brother (Journey) and that dog smashed a maiden last week in 29.80. I expect him to go quicker than that because he’s always been a couple of tenths faster so I’d say he could go 29.70 or better.”
“The Gardens is my local track too so he’s done all his pre-training at the track and has been around it about 20 times. He runs straight as well, he’s not a rail crasher, so hopefully Box 6 will be OK. I think he’ll be a really nice dog for me and he’s a half-sister to Need A Margarita.”
The Robert Smith Memorial Maiden will be contested for the third time in 2024, with the exciting two week series culminating in a $20,000-to-the-winner decider on Saturday, February 16.
The series, held over 515m at The Gardens in Newcastle and sponsored by Multicam, remembers the late Robert Smith who sadly passed away from cancer, aged 68.
