Grass greener on the other side as Smith builds career-best team

Trainer Matt Smith says he has never had a better collection of elite horses as the one spearheaded by his line-up this week.

And the Warwick Farm horseman, who had his first runner in 2003 after learning from racing royalty Aidan O’Brien and Bart Cummings, has no doubt his Luskin Park property and the help of “Dr Green” has made a difference.

At Randwick on Saturday in group 2 races, Smith has Headwall striving in The Shorts to cement a slot in the $20 million Everest, group 1-winner Idle Flyer aiming to bounce back in the 7 Stakes and Queen’s Gamble stepping up to the Tea Rose Stakes. On Friday, exciting stayer Aethelwulf rises to stakes grade in the group 3 Newcastle Cup (2300m) as the favourite.

“I’ve never had a group this strong,” said Smith, who sits equal second on the Sydney premiership with nine winners at 23.1 per cent.

“It’s a nice bunch of horses to have all going at the one time. It’s not like that very often.”

Smith’s stable collected a career-best $6.94 million in prizemoney last season, capping a rise in runners and success since 2020 when he and wife, Melissa, bought the 46-hectare Luskin Park, where champion Luskin Star was bred, in the Lower Hunter as a spelling and pre-training property. They are building a 25-box stable there and hope to increase their numbers and day-to-day training at the facility in a year.

“It’s definitely made a big difference,” he said.

“Mel and I had been looking for years for a place, we knew that’s what we wanted to do.

“I’d worked over in Ireland and I’d followed that way of training, having that ability to freshen horses mid-prep and give them a break mentally as well.

“A lot of horses can feel the strain mentally and they start to fall apart, so if you can get them up there and back to nature, you can’t underestimate the value of a horse just putting his head down in a paddock and having a pick of grass.

“It’s a bit like us doing something we like, going fishing or whatever. You are not thinking about anything except what’s in front of you. It’s the same thing for horse. Day in, day out galloping, galloping and racing, it just catches up with them.

“I read a book on [legendary trainer of Northern Dancer] Horatio Luro and he used to call grass Dr Green. He was always wanting his horses to be picking grass. It’s great to give them a time out. It rejuvenates them. They come back in from the farm and they want to go.”

Seven-year-old Headwall showed he was back with a bang in the Concorde Stakes after a year out because of a pastern injury, surging late to finish second to Tempted two weeks ago. An Everest slot beckons if Headwall ($3.30) can repeat the effort in The Shorts (1100m), where he has gate five.

“He came out of that run really good and he looks super,” Smith said.

“We haven’t got an Everest spot yet, but I think if he ran well, he will get one. If he can back up that first-up run. It will be bloody exciting if we can get one.

“We just need a bit of room, a split at the right time with him. He’s one of those horses that always gets back amongst them.”

Queen’s Gamble ($8) enters the Princess Series for three-year-old fillies at the 1400m Tea Rose after dominant Warwick Farm wins at 1300m and 1400m, following three placings over shorter trips.

“She’s a nice filly and she just keeps getting better and better,” Smith said.

“She’s got the advantage of having that run over the trip and at 1300. A lot of these horses wouldn’t have run 1400m, so if something goes hard in front, it will find a few of them out.”

He was looking for a guide on where to go next with Idle Flyer ($26), which races third up in the 7 Stakes (1600m) after a disappointing effort last start. The Queen Of The Turf winner had every chance in the 1400m Tramway when finishing three lengths fourth.

“She had no real excuses really,” he said of the run.

“She just didn’t let go like she can do, but getting up to the mile will suit her better.

“After that we will make a decision on where we go. Probably Epsom.”

The 7 Stakes, headlined by Autumn Glow ($1.15), was down to five runners with the scratchings of Lindermann and Lady Shenandoah.

Stayer Aethelwulf is perhaps Smith’s most exciting prospect. The four-year-old has won four of his five starts by big margins this preparation, rising in distance and class each time. The Metropolitan or Bart Cummings beckon if he wins.

“He hasn’t missed a beat so far, he’s just got to run the trip,” Smith said.

“We obviously like him a lot, but he’s just got to keep stepping up. You don’t know when they are going to hit their mark. If he keeps winning, you’re going to keep going.”