Brian Unearths Another Potential Stakes Winner
- Saturday, 31 August 2002 00:00
In form trainer Brian Mayfield-Smith may have unearthed another
stakes performer after the impressive first up win of Reactive in the Dalmore Engineering
Handicap (1100m) at Caulfield today.After settling back a little worse than midfield, Reactive was switched out to the centre of the track and swept home to grab Shirley's Luvena, which had got clear in the early stages of the straight.
Reactive, who was having her first start since a second placing here
in May, extended her impressive first up record to three wins from four attempts.
Mayfield-Smith, who's team has been flying in recent weeks thanks to Innovation Girl and Rubitano, said the filly would chase some black type at her next start.
"There's a listed race in three weeks back here," Mayfield-Smith said. "Today's race was basically a pipe opener for that."
The race Mayfield-Smith referred to is the $75,500 Dubai Convention Bureau Plate, a listed event for mares over 1200 metres at Caulfield on September 22.
Connections are confident the daughter of the ill-fated Geiger
Counter will handle distance increases.
"She'll get to 1400 metres easily enough," Mayfield-Smith added. "And I even think 1600 metres will be okay as well."
Winning jockey Reece Wheeler, last season's Melbourne leading apprentice, was impressed with the win.
"She jumped well and then relaxed well," Wheeler told connections. "And she was impressive on the line."
Mayfield-Smith will be hoping to return to the winner's stall later in the afternoon when he saddled up the talented sprinter Prince Rubiton in the GB Galvanising Sprint over 1200 metres.
PICS - Quentin Lang.