State Of Wealth To Continue Guineas Hunt
- Wednesday, 07 September 2011 06:15
Promising colt State Of Wealth's quest for a Group One Caulfield Guineas start in October will continue on home soil at Doomben on Saturday.
Trainer Brian Smith also nominated State Of Wealth for a Benchmark 74 race over 1200 metres at Rosehill the same day but preferred to remain at home for The Rohrig Group Three-Year-Old Handicap (1110m).
"I took a gamble on a good barrier and only accepted in Brisbane and we got barrier two," Smith said.
"If he wins on Saturday his next run will be in the Stan Fox in Sydney. It's halfway to Melbourne."
The Group Two Stan Fox Stakes (1500m) will be run at Rosehill on September 24.
Smith has a big opinion of State Of Wealth, who scored an impressive victory to break his maiden status at Eagle Farm last month.
"It was only a maiden but it was a very good win," he said.
"It's the owners' wish to run him in the Caulfield Guineas so we entered him for both Brisbane and Sydney on Saturday.
"He's trained on very well since his win but we're running out of time for the Caulfield Guineas.
"His second payment is in for the Guineas and the process is in motion.
"If he can keep ticking the boxes he'll be there."
State Of Wealth, a son of Ad Valorem, was bought for $50,000 at the Magic Millions sales by former New Zealander Graham Pollock who runs Yandina Lodge spelling and pre-training facility on the Sunshine Coast.
Pollock holds his own trainer's licence but was happy to have him trained by Smith after retaining a share when the colt was syndicated.
State Of Wealth has the right bloodlines for his Group One attempt as his grand-dam Ruffles won the Group One Newmarket Handicap at Flemington in 1997.
Meanwhile, Smith is happy with the progress of Hume and Raeburn following their defeats in the Listed Wyong Cup (2100m) last Friday.
Both stayers are being aimed at the Group Three Newcastle Cup (2300m) on Thursday week.
Hume only managed to finish 10th to The Verminator in the Wyong Cup while Raeburn fared better finishing eighth.
"The Wyong Cup didn't really suit Hume but I was thrilled with Raeburn's run," Smith said.
"I put blinkers on Hume but that only managed to fire him up and he pulled too hard.
"They'll be coming off for the Newcastle Cup."
Both Hume and Raeburn have been nominated for the Group One Metropolitan (2400m) in Sydney on October 1.
If Hume can measure up in the Metropolitan, connections will consider taking him to Melbourne.
Hume showed enormous promise as a stayer before suffering a tendon injury at the end of his 2009 spring campaign.
He was out of action for more than 18 months before resuming at Eagle Farm in June this year.
