A shortage of suitable races in South Australia has prompted trainer Darryl Hewitt of Murray Bridge to set his sights on Caulfield for two of his horses.
The consistent performer Sir Now is slated for the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) this Saturday, while Snoopy Now will carry the top weight in the Sportsbet Same Race Multi Handicap (1700m).
Hewitt explained that looking beyond his home state was a necessity, particularly for Sir Now, who has been burdened with significant weights in local races.
Sir Now, boasting nine wins from 24 starts, eight placings, and over $400,000 in prizemoney, had been assigned up to 65kg in recent starts before apprentice jockey Alysha Warren’s claim.
“He can’t race here because there’s no races for him,” Hewitt stated.
“He’s running around 65 kilos on his back, but he’s been pretty honest all the way through.”
“Ideally you would stay in your own backyard as he’s been pretty competitive, but he deserves a chance over there.”
“The track is going to be a soft five or six come Saturday, but he can handle heavy going, if it goes that way, and he comes down four-and-a-half or five kilos on his last run.”
Bookmakers have taken note of Sir Now’s prospects, with his odds shortening from $15 to $6.50 in early markets.
Hewitt possesses prior experience with Victorian racing, having spent approximately two decades ago based in Benalla with a small team of horses, Merlot Now and Sparkling Now, who shared similar characteristics to the two runners competing at Caulfield on Saturday.
Merlot Now had outgrown the racing opportunities in Adelaide due to his rating, a situation Hewitt is now facing again with Sir Now.
This trip marks Sir Now’s second venture to Melbourne, having previously finished fifth over 1000m at Flemington on VRC Oaks Day.
“They came home pretty quick that day and we went over thinking it was going to be a wet track and it ended up being a Good 3, and he finished not far behind Rey Magnerio.”
“He won’t disgrace himself over there on Saturday.”
Senior jockey Connor Murtagh will take the reins on Saturday, replacing Warren.
Stablemate Snoopy Now enters the race following a victory in a benchmark 78 event and will be guided by the in-form apprentice Jackson Radley.
Hewitt expressed reservations about Snoopy Now facing Melbourne competition given the weight the horse is assigned.
“It’s like the SANFL over here, against the AFL over there, and we’re getting rated the same,” Hewitt commented.
“He’s taking an 85 rating over there against other 85 rated horses that are racing against better quality week in, week out.”
For those keen on the action, you can explore the latest Australian betting sites for competitive racing odds.