Magpie Hector, Jack Smith's triple group one winner, will make his keenly anticipated return to Wentworth Park on August 13 for the NSW National Distance Championship.
While heats for NSW's National Sprint Championship will be held on Saturday at Wentworth Park, stayers chasing a berth in the Distance Championship grand final at Sandown will contest a 720m for the best eight nominations on Thursday week.
Jack Smith said: "I understand that Magpie Hector is the wild card entry for the National Distance Championship final so irrespective of how he goes at Wenty he will contest the grand final over 715m at Sandown on Saturday, August 29.''
Magpie Hector has won 20 of his 42 starts, annexing group one finals in the Fanta Bale Stayers and Sportsbet Zoom Top at The Meadows along with the Association Cup at Wentworth Park, taking his earnings so far to $456,130.
When I asked Jack Smith how Magpie Hector compared to his great stayer Palawa King, who won the 2023 National Distance Championship before taking out the 2024 Association Cup, their laconic trainer quipped: "well, he is about half a million dollars short of him so far.''
Smith was referring to Palawa King's lifetime earnings of just over $1.1 million, but added: "Ability wise there is not much between them, although Magpie Hector is a better beginner than Palawa King was.''
"The Meadows is arguably Magpie Hector's favourite track but he goes well at Sandown, the venue for the National final.
"He was runner-up to Ayden's Warrior in the group one Sandown Cup there on May 22.''
Ayden's Warrior though won't be contesting the NSW run-off at Wentworth Park on August 13.
Andy Lord, whose wife Jodie trained Ayden's Warrior in Sydney, said: "He has been campaigning in the past couple of months with Melbourne trainer Jason Thompson and the dog is still in Victoria.
"Jodie and I will be nominating Sin City Bandit for the NSW Distance Championship and she is an up-and-coming stayer.''
Sin City Bandit has won each of her four Wentworth Park 720m assignments and boasts a slick personal best time of 41.71.
Magpie Hector posted his quickest Wentworth Park 720m figures of 41.51 in April.
