Trainer Matthew Smith is yet to settle on the next step for promising stayer Aethelwulf following his dominant victory in last week’s Group 3 Newcastle Cup.
The four-year-old son of Saxon Warrior will race again in October, with Smith weighing up two different paths as he considers a potential tilt at the Melbourne Cup (3200m).
Aethelwulf could remain in Sydney for the Group 2 The Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick or travel to Flemington for the Group 3 The Bart Cummings (2500m).
The Bart Cummings carries a ballot exemption into the Melbourne Cup, while the Group 2 Moonee Valley Cup (2500m) on October 23 provides another opportunity to secure a place in the Flemington feature.
“He’ll either run in The Metropolitan or The Bart Cummings – we’ll see how that plays out once we see the nominations,” Smith said on The Verdict podcast.
“It’s a tough decision because we’ve got to take into consideration the travel and everything like that, for a horse like this that’s not very seasoned at all. I know he’s handling his racing at home very well, but it’s a different story when you get away from home and in a new environment. We just have to consider whether we make the trip (to Melbourne) for this race, or we wait for the Moonee Valley Cup.
“Everything will play out once he has his next run. I’m a little bit unsure about that, as yet, but we’ll see how he does through the week, then see how he works on Saturday, and I think that will make a decision for us, how he works on Saturday morning.”
Aethelwulf holds a Melbourne Cup nomination but currently sits 64th in the order of entry with 51kg.
Smith believes the gelding’s next couple of performances will provide a clearer indication of whether he is ready for the challenge of 3200m at Flemington.
“At this stage, he’s handled everything quite well, but he’s winning with something in hand, so we have to see what happens when he gets under a bit of pressure and up against some better horses – then we’ll know where we’re up to. It really gets serious from here on,” he said.
Aethelwulf is the $2.80 favourite for The Metropolitan and is currently rated a $15 chance for the Melbourne Cup.
