Smooth flying for interstate Ipswich Cup hopeful

By Jordan Gerrans

Thomas Dailly is of the opinion that Brisbane Cup finalist Smooth Plane races best fresh at a new venue without a trial and that is exactly how he will attack Thursday’s Ipswich Gold Cup heats.

While many trainers plan weeks ahead to trial at specific tracks ahead of upcoming rich series, the Victorian mentor is not too fussed when it comes to his dog who has regularly raced at the highest level throughout his career.

The blue dog qualified for the premier race of Queensland’s winter – the $1 million Brisbane Cup – as well as an array of Group-level events over the last year or so. 

Smooth Plane is yet to break through in any of the major events he has contested and the Ipswich Gold Cup looms as one of his best opportunities yet after drawing perfectly for Thursday’s heat.

He steps out of the inside alley in the ninth event with seven strong Ipswich Gold Cup heats to be run over 520 metres. 

“When I got the email and saw he drew the red, I was rapt,” the trainer said.

“It is good and I am very happy. We have had this series in mind for the last five weeks or so.”

Like many Queensland visiting greyhound trainers, Dailly sent his track star to the South Maclean kennel of Greg Brennan for his Sunshine State venture.

While Dailly opting not to trial at the Ipswich Showgrounds facility before the big Group 1 series might seem curious to some, the statistics certainly back his thoughts up.

Dailly points to the dog’s 29.57 second performance at Wentworth Park in his heat of the Golden Easter Egg series earlier this year in his first look at the track.

“He seems to handle most of these tracks when we send him somewhere,” the Anakie-based dog man said.

“He goes good at places he has not been before. He should be right for Thursday.

“Hopefully we can get through to the Final and we will see what happens.”

The experienced Group performer finished third in his first look at Albion Park – which was a prelude for the Brisbane Cup – before he won his heat of the showpiece event a few weeks later.

He would finish sixth in the Group 1 Final from Albion Park.

It has been a theme of Smooth Plane’s career that he will qualify for the big-time race he is shooting for but he is yet to land a major prize as a seasoned race dog.

Smooth Plane claimed the Group 3 Provincial Plate Final from Sandown late last year but since then, he has contested a handful of black-type level races around the country without nabbing one.

At his most recent outing, the two-year-old chaser ran a close to best of the night time at Sandown in a heat of the Group 2 Cranbourne Cup before not figuring in the finish of the Final.

“He ran a really good time at Sandown but he came out a bit ordinary in the Final,” Dailly said.

“He finds it hard to string two races together in a row – I have no idea why.

“He does not have the brilliant early pace and when he gets into the Finals against the better dogs, they get out better than he does and then he needs to try and get through a field.

“If he happens to make it through to the Final at Ipswich and then he drew the red again, that would help.”

Smooth Plane headlines a glut of interstate kennels targeting this year’s Gold Cup.

Jason Sharp’s Stormy Day, Saige Tenniele and Page One News (trained by Kody Charles) and Kanan Stark (Steve Withers) are also in the heats of the $150,000-to-the-winner Cup series.