MELBOURNE trainer Henry Dwyer hopes in-form mare Beirut can boost her pedigree in Saturday’s feature Spring Stakes at Morphettville before heading to the breeding barn.
Beirut has been racing at the peak of her powers in recent months, stringing together four consecutive wins including a stout last-start effort in mares class at Caulfield on July 16.
But the six-year-old is yet to snare the black-type status that’s considered so significant to her value as a broodmare.
Beirut is also among final acceptors for Saturday’s Group 3 $150,000 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) at Flemington but Dwyer thinks the Group 3 $120,000 Spring Stakes (1200m) is a more suitable option.
The Caulfield trainer hopes his charge can hold her form and, at the very least, finish in the placings.
“She’s doing a good job,” Dwyer said.
“I don’t think she’s improved every start. It’s just the penny dropped one day and she’s managed to maintain that form right through
“It’s probably her last run and she’ll likely go to stud after Saturday.
“We thought we’d try to find a black-type option for her. Flemington was one and Adelaide was the other and Adelaide looks a more suitable option for her.
“We thought we’d bring her over and if she can run top three, that’d be terrific.”
Beirut has drawn handily in barrier five for the Spring Stakes and carries 56.5kg under the race’s weight-for-age conditions. The mare will be ridden by Victorian jockey Jacob Rule, who snared arguably the biggest win of his career on the Darren Weir-trained Maunatrice in the 2010 Port Adelaide Cup.
“Jacob’s ridden a bit of work on her,” Dwyer said
“It was hard to expect a senior Melbourne rider to commit to her … but I wanted someone I know.
“Jacob was happy to forego any rides he might have got in Melbourne. He doesn’t get many chances in Group races.”
Dwyer has enjoyed good recent success at Morphettville, claiming the Group 1 UBET Classic with Precious Gem during the Adelaide Festival of Racing in May.
Gifted Lindsay Park galloper Tashbeeh also accepted for both the Spring Stakes and Aurie’s Star but co-trainer David Hayes on Wednesday confirmed the five-year-old would run in Melbourne.
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