Anatina’s racing future is yet to be determined and trainer Robert Smerdon is looking for the Group One placegetter to improve on a below-par first-up showing when she tackles the Sir John Monash Stakes.
Anatina was beaten more than four lengths in an open handicap on the Flemington straight course last month.
Anatina
Smerdon wants to see the mare bounce back and be competitive in Saturday’s weight-for-age 1100m-sprint at Caulfield to prolong her racing career.
“At this time of year I suppose we’re gauging her competitiveness and her racing attitude to determine what we do in the medium term in the spring,” Smerdon said.
“She was plain first-up but we forgave her to some extent because she was probably on the wrong side of the track, she had plenty of weight (59kg) and Craig Williams said she blew out and would benefit from that run.
“She’s obviously going to be fitter and better suited tomorrow but she is taking on a fair line-up.
“Her work has been good and there’s been no issues at home so we’ll just have to see if she can reproduce it at the races.
“We haven’t committed to racing next season.
“She may or may not. That’s the sort of thing we’re going to learn out of the next couple of runs, I guess.”
Anatina has won two Listed races and was second in last year’s Group One Galaxy in Sydney.
“She’s a Group One-placed, multiple black type winner and daughter of Fastnet Rock so her broodmare value is assured,” Smerdon said.
“So whether she’s worth more in the breeding barn than the racetrack is what we’ll be determining.”
Anatina is at $10 with TAB fixed odds and shares the third line of betting with three-year-old Wild Rain and in-form Adelaide sprinter Heart Of A Lion.
Heart Of A Lion has been a notable firmer after opening at $21.
Lord Of The Sky is the $1.85 favourite to make it back-to-back Monash Stakes wins while Angels Beach is at $7.
