Smith chasing Flying Amy/Dashing Corsair double

By Isaac Murphy

Sydney trainer David Smith knew he had the necessary talent to make the Group 2 Flying Amy Classic and Listed Dashing Corsair Finals, and left Albion Park last week a happy man.

Ice Cream Story will have a crack at her first Group win in the sprint while Classy Ethics looks back to her best as a stayer.

Ice Cream Story has made a cracking start to her career, an eight-time winner at Wentworth Park, improving her overall record to nine from 19 with a stellar win in her Flying Amy heat.

“She came on season in late March, but with the Oaks coming up in early May we thought we’d have a shot, but she just wasn’t at the top of her game and since then it’s been all about the Flying Amy,” Smith said.

“She’ll continue to get better the further she gets out of her season, but I was really impressed to see her find a way to win that heat; last out, found the fence, checked off the leaders' heels and came again to win.

“On the clock she’s always measured up, she’s run 29.5 several times down at Wentworth Park, I was just pleased to see her win the tough way and give herself a shot in her fourth Group final this week.”

Smith knows how elusive that first Group win can be, but knows the more chances she gets the sooner she’ll break through.

“She’s been in the market for all of those races, things just haven’t gone her way, but it’s a testament to the bitch after 19 starts she’s put herself in the mix again,” he said.

“I’m not too perturbed about her drawing the eight; the red would have been nice, but she can begin on her day and looking at the field she could get a nice cart across from Louis Rumble and Orchestrate inside her.

“She’ll probably have to take that first corner a bit wide, but she’s a bitch who can build up a lot of momentum and if she’s within two or three lengths of them heading down the back they’ll know she’s there in the run home.”

The Group 2 field is class personified and with no clear standout, Smith knows the title is up for grabs.

“I was trying to work out a speed map for the field and it’s really anyone’s guess how it’s going to play out in the run to the post,” he said.

“Jungle Deuce is all class but will probably want to get up the track from the red, which could effect Impact in the three and Orchestrate with plenty of early speed will be pressuring Do It in the five.

“It’s going to come down to execution on the night, I know she’ll be better second up, you just hope luck falls your way.

"It’s pretty exciting with a Group 2 and $75,000 prize money at your fingertips.”

By the time the Flying Amy is run, Smith is hoping to already have the Listed Dashing Corsair in tow, with former Group 1 Queensland Cup Winner Classy Ethics back to her best with an enormous heat run behing Zipping Niseko.

“Jeff (Crawford) called me last year about taking on Look Fancy Nancy, but she was already on her way to another kennel," Smith said.

"I asked him if he’d be interested in Classy Ethics who hadn’t done much at the time, but I knew she’d be better over the 700.

“Thankfully he took her on and she went up there last year and Jeff helped her really make a name for herself as a stayer winning the Queensland Cup and challenging in a lot of other top staying races.

“She’s gone on to win races in Victoria and New South Wales, but she was always at her best at Albion Park and that was her most promising run in some time in the heat.”

At three-and-a-half years old, the bitch is a seasoned stayer and it’s starting to show in her evolving race pattern.

“It used to be all about early speed for her, she’d be one of the first out and really put a gap in them with her mid-race turn of foot,” Smith said.

“As she’s got a bit older, she still has good box speed which saw her lead last week, but she’s just a bit dour middle stages of the race.

"She let Zipping Niseko get away and then started to reel her back in late.

“Zipping Niseko is the one to beat, she’s had our measure a few times there at Wentworth Park but hopefully on our preferred deck up there at Albion Park we can be nice and handy on the speed and have her working hard out of box seven.”

Smith will also bring sprinter Super Estrella and stayer Prim And Proper back for a second look at Albion Park this week and plans on being an ongoing presence at the Winter Carnival.

“With the races coming up there couldn’t be a better time for her (Classy Ethics) to re-gain her confidence, if I’m not able to bring her up every week I’ll definitely look at keeping her up with Jeff up until the Queensland Cup,” he said.

“Having existing form up there should help us out with Origin selection as well, that’s a series I’m itching to be a part of, and she’d represent New South Wales well.

“I wouldn’t rule out a crack at the Brisbane Cup with Ice Cream Story and the kennel mate Super Estrella either, but first thing's first let’s look for a result this week.”