Off an Eagle Farm double last week, including a stakes success, Kelly Schweida is hoping to repeat the dose when he takes a talented team to the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Miss Hipstar was a winner of the Listed Dalrello Stakes last week, while Slow Hands relished some give in the ground to notch his second win this campaign for the stable.
Miss Hipstar is Schweida’s big carnival hope going forward into the Group features, but the trainer also believes Racecourse Road is capable of playing a role in the support races, starting with tomorrow’s Listed Goldmarket.
The son of Show A Heart shoots for a hat-trick and maiden stakes success in this race.
“He’s been flying. His last win was really good,” Schweida said.
“They ran 34.6 the first 600m on soft ground and they ran 1:9.8. So he’s been going good. It took a little bit out of him, it was pretty hard, so he’s had a month between runs and he likes that sort of racing pattern.
“He’s going good, it’s a winnable race for him.”
Racecourse Road is already proven on wet ground at the Gold Coast, so the midweek rain was welcomed by Schweida, who also has the accomplished wet tracker Fleet Dove resuming in the Gold Coast Guineas.
“I thought all of her runs have been pretty good. She raced in good quality races. I think she’s taken that next step,” Schweida said.
“We’ve been riding her quiet in her trials and letting her finish off, which is good.”
Spurcraft is approaching the veteran category now, but Schweida still feels he has something to offer, starting with Saturday’s Bat out of Hell (900m).
“He likes the Gold Coast. He trialled only average but he can do that,” Schweida said.
“Instead of going to the trials again, we will use this race, it’s worth a lot of money and he’s got a pretty good record in that type of race.”
Racecourse Road is the most fancied of Schweida’s runners, being marked a $4.20 chance in the Goldmarket with TAB.
Fleet Dove is at $34 for the Guineas and Spurcraft is $5.50.
