By Craig Kerry
Victorian trainer Matt Laurie is keen to build on his group 1 treble at the Sydney autumn carnival – on and off the track in NSW.
Laurie has two runners at Randwick on Saturday, and he hopes to set both on a path to the listed Ortensia Stakes at Scone on May 17.
Jake Noonan riding Miss Icelandic (left) during jump-outs at Mornington on April 2 alongside Giga Kick and Tropicus.Credit: Getty Images
Off the track, the Mornington trainer, still savouring his breakthrough Sydney group 1 wins with Treasurethe Moment (Vinery Stud Stakes and ATC Oaks) and Vinrock (ATC Sires’ Produce), hopes to one day have a satellite stable in the state.
“I’d love to have a little barn up there, but God knows where I’d be able to get something,” said Laurie, who has submitted an expression of interest for Newcastle’s proposed, but still unfunded, stable development.
“It’s something that if the opportunity arose, we’d certainly take it on a small scale to begin with. It’s just good to go to other places. You don’t want to be stuck in the same zone.
“That’s just something we’ve discussed, but then it’s trying to settle on a place, then when you do, there’s not much available.”
On Saturday, Laurie has Miss Icelandic ($7 Sportsbet) in race four, a benchmark 78 handicap over 1000m, and Sparkling ($8.50) in the seventh, a benchmark 78 over 1200m.
Trainer Matt Laurie (left) with his children and connections as Treasurethe Moment returns to scale after the group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill on April 1.Credit: Sam Mooy
The mares, racing in NSW for the first time, are resuming after last-start efforts in Melbourne in early November. Laurie is eyeing a first black-type result for the pair after Saturday’s test.
“Miss Icelandic’s trialled up quite nicely, and it looks like a nice race for her,” he said.
“[Zealously] will probably be hard to beat, but she’s pretty forward and looks as though she’s come up pretty good.
“I think she’s quite tractable, and our plan is to try and get them both to a listed race at Scone. So I just felt that at least having a run in that direction leading into it would be beneficial.”
While Miss Icelandic has gate two, Sparkling, a last-start winner at Flemington, has drawn poorly in 13.
“She’s coming back from an issue, but she’s got some reasonable ability as well,” Laurie said of Sparkling.
“They’re probably similar. She’s had a couple of trials as well and 1200 metres probably suits her.
“I’m hoping she might be able to just flow across from that draw, just be off the speed with a bit of cover.
“Obviously, we need a bit of luck with it all, but they’ve been here since Thursday or Friday last week. They had a gallop on Tuesday on the course proper together, and that all went pretty smoothly.”
Laurie said, “I’m still pinching myself a bit” after the performances of Treasurethe Moment and Vinrock, which are now spelling. Treasurethe Moment completed the VRC and ATC Oaks double in an eight-start winning streak, while Vinrock is unbeaten in three runs taking in the VRC and ATC Sires.
“Everything just sort of went without a hitch. That’s often not the case with horses and racing,” he said. “It’s something to remember, that’s for sure.”
He said Vinrock, which has since joined Treasurethe Moment under the Yulong banner, will most likely resume in Sydney in the spring and go to the Golden Rose second up.
“Following that, you’re probably going through to a Guineas, or you’ll potentially come back to a Coolmore,” he said.
He said the Cox Plate was a likely goal for Treasurethe Moment after her “incredible” Sydney campaign.
“I’d love to get a runner in a race like that if we can, so she’ll have a preparation with that in mind,” he said.
