A trip to Caulfield for AethelflaedĀ is part of a long-term plan for trainer Matthew Smith.
The MRC Chairman’s Club Handicap (2000m) on Saturday fits into the program for Aethelflaed in preparation for a trip to Brisbane.
Smith is planning a start over 2400m for Aethelflaed in Brisbane for the mare’s next start in the lead-up to the Group 2 Brisbane Cup (3200m) at Eagle Farm on June 14.
Longer term Smith hopes to see Aethelflaed back in Melbourne for the Spring Carnival with the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup in mind.
Smith had hoped Aethelflaed would have been a Cups contender last spring, but she was sidelined with a tendon injury after running second to ZardoziĀ in the Group 1 Victoria Oaks (2500m) at Flemington in 2023.
Zardozi went on to run fourth in both the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup last year.
“I’ve now got to try and get her into this year’s Cups seeing what Zardozi did last year,” Smith said.
“I’m excited to see what she might do over two miles. I think she’s a genuine two-miler.
“She needs some racing to get her rating up to 100, and you never know what might happen.”
Aethelflaed resumed from her tendon injury with victory in a Class 1 contest at Canberra over 2000m on April 18.
Smith said Aethelflaed’s effort to score after such a long lay-off was good, but he countered that by saying she had been in work for a long period.
“It was a good effort, but she was in work for a while to be fair and she had a good base on her,” Smith said.
“We wanted to go somewhere to try and get a win and thankfully she was eligible for a Class 1 and it got a run into her.
“She’ll run a race on Saturday, but I expect them to be too sharp for her, but then she’ll go 2400 metres and then she’ll step up to 3200 metres into the Brisbane Cup as well.”
Smith is also planning a Brisbane Cup start for True MarvelĀ who progressed his campaign when finishing fifth to Smokin’ RomansĀ in the Warrnambool Cup (2350m) on Thursday.
True Marvel is expected to have his next outing in the Listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m) at Flemington on May 17, a race that provides the winner with a ballot exemption into the Melbourne Cup (3200m) in November.
