Matthew Smith has been pleased the preparation of emerging sprinter Headwall, who lines up as a key chance in the $5 million The Quokka (1200m) at Ascot today.
Placed in both the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap and Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes this time in, Smith needed to see the once keen-going Headwall settle in well, which he believes the five-year-old has done.
“He had a bit of a breeze up this morning on the grass and looked great,” Smith told TABradio.
“His condition’s good. He hasn’t lost any weight, which is important. He just seemed nice and bright. He was sharp and he was looking to do something, so that’s always good too.”
“He looks as good as he did in Sydney. I’m really happy.”
Headwall has drawn barrier eight of 13 for his first look at Ascot, just the second time he’ll travel around a bend anti-clockwise, having hit the line well for fourth in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) first up this campaign. “I had a good look at the track this morning. It’s got a good camber on it around the turn, which does help those horses back in the field. It’s not a particularly long straight, but he does have a good turn of foot,” Smith said.
Headwall was only 1.3 lengths off defending champion Overpass in the T J Smith Stakes, a run that gives Smith confidence, not just in his ability, but in his tractability.
“It was a really good TJ this year. I don’t know, it was eight or nine Group One winners in there. I was surprised to see him on the bit at the 200 (metres). I thought that was unusual in a TJ to be still travelling.”
“He was a very hard horse to get to settle, and that’s why we took so long to get him to 12 (hundred metres). We did try him in Queensland over 12, but he didn’t relax and he didn’t run it out, so we went back to 1,000 with him.”
“If he can reproduce his T J run, he’s going to be fighting the finish. Now, he’s still got to travel here and he’s still got to do it, but we’re not seeing any signs that he won’t.
From a middle barrier, Smith is hoping Headwall, to be ridden by Zac Lloyd, can land midfield and not give a horse like Overpass too big a head start.
“Takes some thinking out of it, you can land there, that’d be good instead of being too wide.”
Overpass is unbeaten in two editions of the Quokka and has drawn barrier 10. He remains a $2.40 favourite from Headwall at $6.00. Western Empire drew barrier six and is an $8 chance while Front Page (barrier 11) is the only other horse in single figures at $8.50.
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