Victorian trainer, Max Hinton, is re-thinking his plans with talented mare Sophie’s Spirit and may include the Scone carnival in his travel arrangements, following a chance conversation last Tuesday.
Sophie’s Spirit will run in the Darley Crown (1300m) at Hawkesbury on Saturday, the only interstate runner in the race.
Hinton had then planned to go straight to Brisbane with the Group One Tattersalls Tiara (1400m) at Eagle Farm her ultimate goal.
However, a chance conversation with a Scone regular whose name he cannot recall plus several chats with fellow Victorian trainer, Pat Carey, might have convinced him to change his plans and start her in the Listed $200,000 Coolmore Dark Jewel Classic (1400m) on May 19.
“I got into conversation with someone, who I had never met before, from Scone who asked if I was going to your carnival,” Hinton said.
“I had not even considered Scone but once I started hearing about it I knew I had better do a bit of research.
“The fact that the Dark Jewel comes two weeks after Hawkesbury makes it really attractive.
“My mare is suited by 1400 metres because of her high cruising speed.
“Pat was at the Scone carnival last year and has been raving about it for the last 12 months but I had not thought about it for my mare until this week.”
If Hinton does decide to start at Scone he will be wasting no time trying to book either Nash Rawiller or Glyn Schofield.
He tried for both jockeys at Hawkesbury but Rawiller was already committed to More Strawberries while Schofield will be riding at the Gold Coast.
Schofield rode Sophie’s Spirit when she won the Group Three Herald Sun Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day last year while Rawiller was on her at her next start when she ran second at Sandown 11 days later.
The mare was spelled after that but resumed with a first up third over 1200 metres at Flemington on April 14, beaten less than a length.