By MIKE DILLON
Waikato galloper Schmooze has earned himself a crack at the $A751,000 Caulfield Guineas.
The three-year-old booked his tickets with an outstanding win at Hastings on Saturday, an effort which surprised trainers Debbie and Graeme Sanders.
"We thought he would need the run," Debbie Sanders said yesterday. "He looked a bit fat after having such an easy time with foot trouble. The infection he got in a foot got quite bad and he wasn't able to run in the Wanganui Guineas, which is the race we were targeting.
"We'll see how he is this week, but we're keen to look at the Caulfield Guineas."
Given that he was a fraction soft in condition, Schmooze fought bravely to hold out Camacho by a head, with favourite Willie Capone three lengths away third.
Schmooze will be accompanied to Melbourne by Magic Winner, who turned in a surprisingly good effort for third behind The Message in Saturday's $250,000 Kelt Capital Stakes.
His main target is the $A2 million Caulfield Cup, but his 49.5kg is 8.5kg less than weight-for-age, placing him 51st equal in order of entry.
"To have any chance of making the field he would need to win the Mitchelson Cup at Ellerslie on Saturday," Sanders said. " He's probably better right now than at any stage of his career.
"Gary [Grylls] felt that if he had drawn a decent barrier he would have been second rather than third. But he wouldn't have beaten the winner, The Message."
The Message is likely to be among Magic Winner's rivals should the latter make the Cup, with a nomination mix-up being cleared yesterday. Kings Honor, another impressive Hastings winner, will stay at home to concentrate on the New Zealand Derby at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
"I'd love to think eventually I'll take him to Australia, but the Derby has always been our aim and we won't be going over there before then," said owner Jim Campin.
Campin had always had in mind the Hawkes Bay Guineas followed by the Lindauer Guineas with Kings Honor, but luck was against that plan.
"If the gap had opened up along the rails in the Hawkes Bay Guineas, I'm sure he would have won it. I felt that as a maiden there was a strong chance he'd miss getting in the field for the Guineas at Ellerslie this week, which is why we went back to Hastings this time.
"I won't run him this week now, I'll wait for the Guineas at Wellington."
Racing: Schmooze will tackle Caulfield Guineas
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