Positive signs in Starante return
“But in the second prep she just didn’t come up that well.
“We didn’t change much and just turned her out.”
The simple break looks to have worked with Starante’s fourth-place finish in her first run back on the Gold Coast on May 17 injecting confidence into Smerdon.
He rates the daughter of Sidereus an each-way chance today in the Three-Year-Old Fillies Handicap (1200m) on the bumper 10-race Gold Coast program today.
Starante’s final 600m split of 33.67 seconds in the 900m race wasn’t far from the 33.36 seconds she produced in her maiden win at the same distance.
“She has had one run this time in and we were very happy with it and she pulled up well from there,” Smerdon said.
Starante will be one of two runners Smerdon will have at the Gold Coast today.
The other is six-year-old gelding Kincaple Chief who will run in the Class 4 Handicap (1100m).
“Both are working well and will both be doing their best work at the finish,” Smerdon said.
Smerdon said Kincaple Chief needs to make up some ground to get an unlikely win as he works towards racing over a longer distance.
“He will get back a bit – that will be the worry,” Smerdon said.
“But he will finish strong. He is improving.
“He has a bit of age on him now and will probably suit a longer distance.”
Smerdon’s Victorianbased brother Robert is in Queensland and chasing more success with Under The Louvre, the 2016 Stradbroke Handicap winner.
Under The Louvre will race in today’s Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup at Eagle Farm in what will be the six-year-old’s final race before being retired to Grandview Stud this year at a fee of $7700. of