Matt Smith, the trainer of Portland, felt a sense of frustration after watching a replay of the Gosford Cup. The five-year-old Dubawi horse had shown promise in previous races, but his performance at Gosford left much to be desired. Now, Smith is hoping that a change in fortune for Portland during the Lord Mayors Cup at Rosehill will help him regain confidence and lay a solid foundation for the spring racing season.
During the Gosford Cup, Portland drew gate three, which Smith believed was an ideal position for a horse with strong finishes from the back of the field. However, the race did not go as planned. Despite starting well, Portland ended up in a difficult position when the leader set a fast pace early on, creating what Smith described as “no-man’s land” at the front of the pack. As a result, Portland finished sixth, missing out on a potential win.
“It started out all right because he had the opportunity not to be out the back on him, but he just ended up in the wrong spot,” Smith explained.
Smith noted that Portland has consistently delivered excellent performances in his previous starts, despite some challenges with gate draws. He believes that the horse is ready to win, and a victory in the Lord Mayors Cup would provide a much-needed boost for his preparation.
“It would be nice if he could knock this race over and have a little break. It would make it a good first prep because really the only poor performance was last start and there were reasons for that.”
Portland is still acclimatising to the Australian racing scene, and Smith feels that this preparation will set him up for future success.
Portland is set to face a challenging draw in the Lord Mayors Cup, starting from gate 12. However, Smith is optimistic about the horse’s chances, especially if the track is wet. Winona Costin will take the ride, replacing Kerrin McEvoy, who will be competing at Eagle Farm.
“He definitely wants a wet track,” Smith said. “I don’t know about a really heavy track, but I’m sure a soft or a normal heavy, he will be really good on it.”
Other horses in Smith’s stable also face tough draws. Glastonbury Girl, for example, is drawn in gate 13 for race five, while Anythink Goes is in gate 12 for race six. Both have shown promise in their respective preparations, but the starting positions may affect their performance.
“The barrier gods aren’t with me this week,” Smith admitted.
Glastonbury Girl has been performing well throughout the preparation, but the draw makes it difficult for her to find a clear path. Similarly, Anythink Goes showed good form in his last start at Gosford, even though he struggled from the gate.
“Anythink Goes, his run at Gosford the other day was good. He was never any chance from the gate, I guess, but he was finding the line. His work has been good and 1500 is all right.”
One of the biggest challenges for Smith this week comes with Beauty Swift, who is drawn in the second-widest gate for the Group 1 Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm. Beauty Swift has been performing strongly, finishing second in the Rough Habit Plate, and will head to Hong Kong after Saturday’s race.
Smith also has Lyles racing at Eagle Farm in the second race. He decided to scratch Lyles from the rain-affected Randwick meeting last Saturday, a decision he now considers to have been the right one.
“We pulled the right rein there,” Smith said. “Hopefully we get a better track for him. He’s going good and it’s a nice race for him if it’s not too wet.”
