Gai Waterhouse was talking up the chances of her smart mare Sweet Idea for the Group 1 $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday following a pleasing trackwork session on Tuesday morning.
Sweet Idea heads to the T J Smith Stakes at Randwick after winning the Galaxy at Rosehill, above. Photo by Steve Hart.
Sweet Idea galloped over 1200m at Randwick in the overall time over 1.24.3, running home the last 600m in 38.5 seconds and ended it off by clocking 11 seconds for her final 200m.
Waterhouse was very pleased with the four year olds work and declared that she would be right in the finish in the T J Smith Stakes on the first day of ‘The Championships’.
“She just may have come back bigger and better than ever and she will be right there when the whips are cracking at the end of the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes,” Waterhouse wrote on her website, gaiwaterhouse.com.au.
Randwick clocker Nic Ashman was also impressed with the solo workout, describing it as a brilliant gallop.
“Sweet Idea produced a brilliant gallop at Randwick on Tuesday,” Ashman wrote in his Daily Telegraph column.
“It was better work than what she did before The Galaxy but it needs to be as she tackles the world’s best sprinters under weight-for-age conditions.”
Sweet Idea brokethrough for her maiden Group 1 win after four placings at the elite level when she stormed home to beat Kuro and Miracles Of Life in the $400,000 Canadian Club Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill on March 21.
Sweet Idea will be taking on three of the nation’s top sprinters in the T J Smith Stakes, Lankan Rupee, Terravista and Chautauqua, with all three returning to Sydney after running in the Group 1 $1m Lexus Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on March 14.
Chautauqua, second, Terravsita, third and Lankan Rupee, sixth, couldn’t match it with Chris Waller’s brilliant three year old Brazen Beau who blew them away with a phenomenal performance down the Flemington straight.
Sweet Idea has been a model of consistency throughout her career and has recorded eight wins and eight placings from her nineteen starts.
Apart from her four Group 2 victories, the Snitzel mare as a two year old ran second in the 2013 $2m Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast and third in the 2013 Group 1 $3.5m Golden Slipper (1200m).
Her other Group 1 placings in 2014 were a second in the $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill, a second in the $400,000 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield and a second in the $500,000 Myer Classic (1600m) at Flemington.
Sweet Idea is well in the betting at $6.50 with Ladbrokes.com.au and has drawn well at barrier five and has the services of Hong Kong’s super star jockey Joao Moreira.
T J Smith Stakes market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.70 Chautauqua, $3.20 Terravista, $5.50 Lankan Rupee, $6.50 Sweet Idea, $26 Tiger Tees, Fast ‘N’ Rocking, $51 Famous Seamus, Rain Affair, Lord Of The Sky, $101 Fontelina, $126 Press Report.
