Under The Louvre scores overdue win in Stradbroke Handicap
PUNTERS and fans of Under The Louvre rejoiced when the perennial group 1-placegetter finally scored its grand final in the Group 1 $1.5 million Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm.
The Robert Smerdon-trained five-year-old was 13-times placed from 28 starts and punters were wondering if it would ever win again, but they were rewarded with a $12 price at Sportsbet.
In a titanic struggle down the Eagle Farm straight, Victorian runners Under The Louvre and Black Heart Bart went toe-to-toe, but it was Under The Louvre which edged away on the line for an overdue group 1 victory.
Jockey Dwayne Dunn commended the effort of Black Heart Bart and suggested that the outside of the Eagle Farm track was better suited as the first three home were the widest into the straight.
“It’s great to be back here at Eagle Farm,” Dunn said. “The insides probably a little bit off now. Just gotta get three wide, four wide, it just keeps getting better. It was never always going to hold on the inside. Give it another six months.”
The Victorian-based rider got his mount into a good position and was closer to the pace than usual. Criticism of Under The Louvre is that it gets too far back and leaves its run too late, but the ride was perfect from Dunn.
“Just got into the lovely spot, midfield with some cover,” Dunn said.
“Because he hadn’t hit the front in so long, I don’t think he knew how to put them away. He’s going to make a nice stallion for someone.”
Smerdon made reference to The Goodwood defeat at its last run and how the second-place finish was a blessing in disguise.
“If we win the Goodwood we don’t win today because we would not have met Black Heart Bart so much better at the weights,” Smerdon said. “We met him two kilos better at the weights today and that told at the finish.
“Under the Louvre is found out by the 1400m and I realised even when he loomed up to grad Black Heart Bart we would have a fight on our hands.
“However, the Stradbroke had been on our radar for some time and it is good when a plan comes together.”
The group 1 win makes a huge difference in a stallions pedigree and Under The Louvre now has its claim to fame. The son of Excellent Art has having just its third start this preparation and could head to the Melbourne spring carnival later in the year.
“He has not been unlucky all the time but things have gone against him,” Smerdon said. “But for all that you have to earn a group 1 win and we thought if we could get him to the Stradbroke at his best he would be hard to beat.”
Black Heart Bart was huge in second place, but the big talking point was the effort of The Virginian in third position. The Toby Edmonds-trained three-year-old has won only in maiden and class 1 grade, but was thrown in the deep end.
Its effort for third at odds of $151 and $22 for the place at Sportsbet was incredible and it had lengths to spare on Delectation which ran on well for fourth.