Spring plans for unbeaten colt Smart Missile are still to be determined but the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington is looming as a major goal.
The youngster is raced by Eduardo Cojuangco’s Gooree Pastoral Company syndicate and trainer Anthony Cummings says his owner is keen to target the 1200m sprint on Victoria Derby Day, October 29.
“I know Mr Cojuangco is pretty keen to look at the Coolmore so no doubt that will be on our schedule,” Cummings said.
“At this stage it’s (spring program) still a bit up in the air, I want to see how he settles in and how he comes to hand but at this stage there are some pretty nice races around.”
Both Cummings and Smart Missile returned from their respective breaks during the week, the trainer from a holiday in Thailand and the colt from a spell.
Smart Missile has won his only two starts, winning the Breeders Plate on debut last spring and becoming the first, and so far only, horse to claim the scalp of Sepoy in the Group Two Todman Stakes in March.
He was sent out second favourite for the Golden Slipper but played up in the barriers and was a late scratching.
Cummings hoped to gain some compensation in the Sires’ Produce Stakes but the colt injured himself just days from the race, putting paid to his autumn.
“He’s back in work at Randwick and I’m looking forward to the spring,” Cummings said.
Whether that will include a start in the $1 million Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill on September 10 remains to be seen.
Cummings won the feature with Duporth in 2008 but said even with the Golden Rose being pushed back to a later timeslot this year, he would be racing the clock to get Smart Missile ready.
“It does come up early, later this year which gives us a chance, but he would need a trouble-free early preparation to get away with that if we go there,” Cummings said.
AAP TURF
