The Listed Winter Championship Series Final is the likely target for last-start winner Iggimacool at Flemington.
Saturday’s program features the finals of a number of winter race series held in Victoria in recent months, highlighted by the $150,000 Winter Championship Series Final (1600m).
Iggimacool has also qualified for Leilani Series Final (1400m) for mares after winning a heat on June 25.
“Iggimacool qualifies for both the mares’ race and the Winter Final and will be nominated for both but I think she’s probably going to be better treated at the weights and over the 1600 metres in the Winter Championship Final,” Smerdon said.
“She’s had a 1200-metre race and two 1400s so far this preparation so I think she’s ready to step up now.”
Iggimacool ran in a heat of the Winter Championship two starts ago when seventh to the in-form Jacquinot Bay.
Smerdon is set to have a strong hand at Flemington with Odyssey Moon expected to run in the Listed A R Creswick Series Final (1200m) against his own age.
Odyssey Moon has won his past two starts in Melbourne, a heat of the Creswick Series and an 1100m-open handicap against older horses last start which coupled as a heat of the All Victorian Sprint Series.
Smerdon believes Odyssey Moon will be suited under the set weights and penalties conditions of the Creswick Final and Craig Newitt will ride him again after winning on the colt last start.
“It was a tough run but he’s got a good constitution and we think he’s been quite good,” Smerdon said.
Dwayne Dunn will ride Iggimacool and his stablemate Reldas who runs in the Listed All Victorian Sprint Series Final.
Listed winner Reldas has been unplaced in his two runs this campaign with a sixth first-up at Flemington over 1000m before finishing among the tail-enders in the race won by Odyssey Moon.
“He was OK first-up but was off his game last start,” Smerdon said.
“But he seems all right so he’ll go to the Sprint Final.”
