Former Sydney trained stayer Kingdoms will return to the southern capital for a Spring Carnival campaign culminating with a run in the Group 1 $400,000 The Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on October 4.
Kingdoms has booked himself a Spring Carnival campaign after winning at Eagle Farm. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Kingdoms hadn’t raced since November last year and was having is first start for Eagle Farm trainer Brian Smith and the four year old was able to score a comfortable win in the Listed $100,000 Centenary Classic Mercedes Benz Open Mile (1600m) at Eagle Farm last Saturday.
Kingdoms started at the good odds of $21 and made a late charge to beat Hi Son, also a $21 chance, and $6 fancy Belle De Coeur.
The High Chaparral gelding was previously prepared by John O’Shea but when the Randwick trainer was chosen to replace Peter Snowden as the top trainer at Darley, Kingdoms was transferred to Smith.
“One of his owners, Michael O’Keefe has been a good client of mine,” Smith said.
“He owned Southerly and Cruz By which I trained and he said he would send me one that I could take interstate for the big races.
“I love light-framed stayers like him.”
O’Shea had tested Kingdoms out at Group 1 level and as a three year old finished third to Kiwi superstar It’s A Dundeel in the 2013 Group 1 $1.5m David Jones Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick in the Autumn.
O’Shea also ran the promising stayer in last year’s Metropolitan, finishing three and a quarter lengths tenth to Seville.
Smith is prepared to take a more mature Kingdoms back for another crack at the Metropolitan and is likely to use the Group 3 $175,000 Newcastle Gold Cup (2300m) at Newcastle on September 18 as a lead up to the Group 1 staying test at Randwick.
“I want to take him south for the Newcastle Cup and then the Metropolitan and if I have to take him to Sydney before then I will,” Smith said.
Smith will give Kingdoms his next run in the Listed $80,000 Tattersall’s Mile (1600m) at Doomben on July 12 before he finalizes a southern campaign.
“I’ll see how he pulls up but at this stage he’ll run in the Tatt’s Mile and we’ll go from there,” Smith said.
