Schweida begins a Magic Millions Odyssey
The Odyssey has given stallion Better Than Ready his first winner with a clear-cut Doomben victory
Trainer Kelly Schweida resembled a proud father after The Odyssey rocketed into Magic Millions contention with an all-the-way win at Doomben.
The Odyssey ($16) became the first winner for his sire Better Than Ready, an outstanding sprinter trained by Schweida, who won eight races including the Brian Crowley Stakes at Randwick in 2012.
“I’m really stoked to get the first winner by Better Than Ready and I really think he’ll make the grade as a sire,” Schweida said.
“They all look like him and they sell well.”
Schweida believes Better Than Ready’s versatility on the track has been passed on to The Odyssey.
“He ran third in a Group One on a bog track here and broke Northern Meteor’s track record when he won the Crowley at Randwick,” Schweida said.
“I think you need a stallion in Queensland that can handle the wet or dry and they’re all good types.”
Schweida said The Odyssey will have a week in the spelling paddock before being aimed at the Magic Millions (1200m) at the Gold Coast in January.
The colt, bought for $30,000, is owned by a group of women, including Schweida’s wife Vera, which makes him eligible for the Millions $500,000 Women’s Bonus.
Jockey Dale Smith was not disappointed with the effort of runner-up Guntantes, the $1.75 favourite, who was beaten 3-1/4 lengths by The Odyssey.
“He was a bit of a lad before the race, was tardy out of the gates and a bit hesitant between runners but he’ll learn from that experience,” Smith said.