A change of plans by leading Randwick trainer Gai Waterhouse will see her smart mare Sweet Idea have her next start in the Group 1 $400,000 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 30.
Sweet Idea will head to the Group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Waterhouse’s original plan was to step Sweet Idea out in this Saturday’s Group 2 $175,000 Warwick Stakes (1400m) at Randwick after she scored a narrow first up win in the Group 2 $175,000 McGrath Estate Agents Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on August 9.
But with further thought on the matter, Waterhouse feels it is the right time to give the Snitzel mare another chance at Group 1 level.
“Sweet Idea has thrived since her win in the Missile Stakes and I think she deserves her chance at a Group 1,’’ Waterhouse told The Daily Telegraph.
“She will leave for Melbourne either Thursday or Friday to prepare for Caulfield next week.”
Tommy Berry bounced Sweet Idea straight to the lead in the Missile Stakes and she was able to hold off a smart field that included five Group 1 winners.
Sweet Idea was having her first run since finishing ninth to Lankan Rupee in the Group 1 $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 12 and Berry expects her to improve immensely from the run.
“She had a big blow today and she was quite big in condition herself,” Berry said after the mare held off the fast finishing Messene from the Team Hawkes stable..
“I know some horses will improve but so will she.
“She bottomed out at the 100 metres and I thought Messene had me, but she just doesn’t know how to give up.”
Sweet Idea has competed at Group 1 level on three occasions and apart from finishing midfield in the T J Smith Stakes, has been placed at her other two Group 1 assignments.
As a two year old Sweet Idea mixed it with the best and after winning the Group 2 $200,000 Patinack Farm Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill went on to run third to stablemate Overreach in the 2013 Group 1 $3.5m Tooheys New Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill.
Then during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Carnival she went very close to a Group 1 win, failing by a nose to run down tearaway leader Steps In Time in the $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill on March 22.
If Sweet Idea continues to hold her form during the Spring Carnival, a run in the Group 1 $500,000 The Star Epsom (1600m) at Randwick on October 4 is also on the agenda.
“The Epsom Handicap is a race I think will be right up her alley,” Waterhouse said.
“It’s a race I’ve won seven times and Sweet Idea is the perfect type of horse for that race.”
The consistent mare has won six of her fourteen starts along with six placings and has collected over $1,800,000 in prizemoney for her connections.
