Showdown looms for Victoria’s hottest 2YOs

TRAINER Henry Dwyer hopes he will be the winner when the real Showdown takes place at Caulfield.

Dwyer and fellow trainer Troy Corstens faced up to each other at the North Melbourne Boxing and Fitness Gym yesterday to launch Victoria’s lat- est $1 million race, The Showdown. To be run at Caulfield in April 2019 on the Victorian Owners and Breeders Incentive Scheme race day, The Showdown is open to twoyear-olds sired by one of the 54 VOBIS Sires’ nominated stallions that are also Super VOBIS and VOBIS Gold nominated.

“He’s got me on weight and probably reach but you’re talking about probably two of the most unathletic blokes around,” Dwyer said.

“It’s lucky we didn’t get serious because I would have been in trouble I reckon.

“Troy would have had me in the ring but I’ll be looking to have him in the first running of The Showdown at Caulfield.” The Showdown is named after the former Australian Champion Victorian-based sire of the 1970s who stood at Stockwell Stud under the management of George Smith.

Corstens and Dwyer said Smith had been instrumental in their selection of yearlings when they began as trainers.

“I love the name,” Corstens said. “To have such a great Victorian stallion represented with a double meaning in the name I think is fantastic.

“When I started buying yearlings I did two years with my father (Leon) and then he sent me off with George Smith for two years.”

Dwyer said the naming of the race formed a part of Victorian racing history.

“The name’s great, especially to have a bloke like George Smith involved and Stockwell Stud,” Dwyer said.

“It’s a part of the history of racing.”