Dwayne Schmidt will hope that home track advantage stands for something when his stable presents a big team of runners for Sunday’s Kensei Club Community Race Day at Grafton.
The opening event is the Southside Pharmacy 2YO Springboard Prelude Maiden Plate (1015m), which leads into the $45,000 Springboard To Fame, which will be run and won on Grafton Cup Day (Thursday, July 13).
Schmidt has five youngsters entered in the two-year-old race, including Dusan (Michael Cahill, gate 13), Oneonone (Jayden Lloyd, gate 11), Seafarer Miss (NA/ gate 18), first emergency Invincible Alf (Ben Looker, gate 15), and fifth emergency Romi (NA, gate 16), but he conceded that they wouldn’t all start after a luckless barrier draw.
“I was trying to get them all in, and unfortunately, they didn’t split the race, and some of them have drawn the car park, so I don’t know if I will start them all,” Schmidt said.
“I probably won’t run Seafarer Miss, and she will probably go to the country-only maiden on Ramornie Day; it will be a step up against the older horses, but we’ll see how she goes.”
The Springboard To Fame is one of the last two-year-old features of the 2022/23 season, and Schmidt had always planned on his stable boasting a solid hand.
“For three months, I’ve had this race pencilled in for two of them, Dusan and Invincible Alf,” Schmidt said.
“Unfortunately, they have drawn wide, but there’s not much between them, and both go pretty good.”
Michael Cahill will ride debutant Dusan – a recent trial winner over 685m at the Gold Coast – and the Graton trainer believes the Exosphere gelding will lead them up in the five-furlong sprint.
“Dusan will probably come across and lead, and the other horse (Invincible Alf) will get a sit off him, but with Dusan, I’m not sure if he will run the 1000m, and he might be an 800m horse, but he’ll be in it for a long way.
“He’s been up for a long time, and regardless of how he goes, he’ll go for a spell after the run.”
Schmidt will start Invincible Alf knowing he will be better for the run when second-up in the $45,000 Springboard To Fame later in the carnival.
“He’s got a fair amount of talent, and he’s pretty tough; I’ve been sticking it right to him, and he keeps copping it,” Schmidt said.
“Hopefully, he can run a place to get him into the race on cup day.”
The Brazen Beau colt has only had one start, finishing fourth when beaten short of two lengths in a 1006m Maiden at Grafton in February.
He’s since had 17 weeks off and finished an excellent second to the Scott Henley-trained Volcanic Love over 955m at Grafton on June 10.
“He should have run second first-up, and he hung in quite badly and was not fully tested in the run to the line,” Schmidt said.
“He hung in in his trial too, and I’ll tell Benny (Looker) to hold the whip in his right hand.”
Oneonone is a Super One gelding having his first start, and he wasn’t too far off the pace in a 946m trial at Grafton on March 13, finishing third behind subsequent Ballina winner Paris Belle.
Schmidt has a big team racing at his home track on Sunday, with consistent maiden Filthy Rich (Noriyuki Masuda, gate 14) shaping as a live chance 1720m Maiden Plate, while Blue Acres (Luke Rolls, gate 6) steps up in class when contesting the 1215m Class One Handicap.
“I don’t mind them both,” Schmidt said.
Filthy Rich is a 19-start maiden that has placed seven times, recently finishing second when beaten a half-head at Grafton over the same distance on June 10.
“Filthy Rich is going to win a race sometime soon, but I don’t know about a (Maiden) Plate; he’s treated too harshly with 59kg,” Schmidt said.
“Still, on his last run, he’ll be hard to beat, and the race is country-only; he is fit and on his track.”
Blue Acres was on debut at Ballina on June 12 and was impressive when winning the 1000m Country Boosted Maiden Plate as a 20/1 shot.
“Blue Acres has had the one go, for one win, but I’m not sure if he will run 1200m,” Schmidt said.
“He’s a massive horse at 17.2 (hands), and he is a good-looking animal, but he’s had a few minor issues, been shin sore three times, and is probably close to going for a spell.
“He’s always shown ability, and once he goes for a spell and thickens up a bit more, he’ll make a nice horse.”
Grafton’s July carnival is one of the highlights of the NSW racing calendar, with the Clarence River Jockey Club hosting five bumper programs and 37 or more races in 15 days.
Sunday’s Kensei Club Community Race Day, which has 117 acceptors on the seven-race program, will see the running of the inaugural Belfyer Prelude, which is among five Prelude races on the day.
The program well and truly kicks the Grafton festivities off, and Schmidt and his team are excited for everyone involved.
“It is exciting, especially for the local owners,” Schmidt said.
“That’s what it is all about, they live for their carnival, and for years and years, it’s always been the major country carnival people want to be seen at.
“For the local owners, I’m happy for them to race their horse over the carnival, and for us, we don’t have to travel, and we race against good horses, but it evens it up a bit because we are not travelling.”
For more on the carnival, click here.
For Sunday’s fields, click here.
