Sydney trainer Matthew Smith will give Fierce Impact every opportunity to land a third spring feature after the entire’s win in the Cantala Stakes at Flemington.
Fierce Impact has now won Melbourne’s two Group One mile handicaps having taken the Toorak Handicap at Caulfield last month ahead of Saturday’s success.
Smith is now looking at stepping Fierce Impact up to weight-for-age and 2000m in next Saturday’s Mackinnon Stakes.
“We’ll consider it alright, we have to,” Smith said.
“The 2000 metres is right up his alley.
“We’ll see how he pulls up but we’ll leave him down here for the week and give him his chance.”
Ridden by Craig Williams, Fierce Impact ($8) scored by a short-head from Fifty Stars ($10) with Cascadian ($12) a half-neck away third.
Smith’s three Group One victories have all been in Melbourne with his first coming with Hurtle Myrtle in the Myer Stakes, run on the corresponding day in 2011.
He said it was very satisfying to have two Group One victories during the spring.
“Every owner wants their trainer to be training Group One winners, so it was so important today to see if we could back it up,” Smith said.
“For me it’s about delivering for your owners and people that support you.
“I’m very proud with the way the horse has produced in the last three starts.
“It’s not often that it all goes to plan and then we were able to pull it off again today.”
Smith returned Fierce Impact to his Warwick Farm stable following the Toorak Handicap to keep the six-year-old in his regular routine.
He said Fierce Impact returned to Melbourne early Friday morning to the stables of Ciaron Maher.
“He’s been so incredibly good to us,” Smith said.
“Every step has to go right to get these results and if your horse comes to Melbourne and he’s not happy, those things can go against you,” Smith said.
“But they give him his same box each time, so it just works out so well.”
Williams said Fierce Impact was awesome in holding out Fifty Stars and Cascadian.
“The horse who beat him in the lead up to the Toorak (Kolding) won the Golden Eagle today in Sydney and has franked his form,” Williams said.
“He was a bit trickier ride today, I just wanted to cuddle him for as long as I could.”
