Inside Racing: Warrnambool's Lindsey Smith unsure of Tuvalu's next start

Leading Warrnambool trainer Lindsey Smith has big races over Melbourne's spring carnival earmarked for his stable stars but the multiple group 1-winning mentor said plans were up-in-the-air after Warrnambool received more than 150 millimetres of rain in June.

"The record heavy rain in June has forced us to change plans for Tuvalu and Queen Air," Smith said. "It's all a bit frustrating but there's nothing we can do about it because it's all weather dependent. There's just been nowhere to give the horses grass gallops as the tracks are so heavy.

"I was originally thinking of kicking Tuvalu's spring campaign off in the group 3 Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield on July 22 but we've dropped that idea."

Smith said he will target the weakest Melbourne spring carnival group 1s with Tuvalu and Queen Air.

"We'll just be looking around for the easiest group 1s," he said. "The big prize-money in Sydney may play into our hands over the spring. Sydney is offering huge prize-money for some of its big races in the spring against the Melbourne stake money. My theory is the good horses can't run everywhere. We'll just sit back and see how it all plays out with the weather before making any big plans which will be dictated by the weather."

Tuvalu won the group 1 Toorak Handicap in the spring of 2022 while Queen Air ran third in the VRC Oaks in November.

INJURY-PRONE Warrnambool galloper Rebellious Lord took his stake earnings to more than $200,000 with a win in a restricted race at Warracknabeal on Friday.

Rebellious Lord, ridden by Brad Rawiller, defeated Testa Life and Space Equity to take out the 1600-metre contest.

Trainer Mark O'Donnell said the nine-year-old, who has spent more than two years on the sidelines because of injuries, deserved Friday's victory.

"Rebellious Lord has been a great horse for his connections," O'Donnell said. "He's had a lot of injuries during his career including a chipped bone in the knee, hock and breathing problems. I've got him fairly right now. I'm not getting too carried away because it was a lowly restricted race but it was a win and that's the main thing. We'll look at a restricted 58 race for his next start at either Donald or Murtoa. It was a 10-out-of-10 ride by Brad."

Friday's win was Rebellious Lord's seventh from 64 starts.

POPULAR Warrnambool jumps-jockey Braidon Small is amazed with the generosity of people to his family since he underwent an operation for a brain tumour last month.

Small was trackside with his wife Amy and two children at Warrnambool on Sunday, as a raffle and auction, along with a GoFundMe page fund-raiser, were held for his family.

"Amy and I are just so grateful for all the support we've received," Small said. "It's been totally amazing.

"The racing fraternity is a very tight group and they have been extremely generous but it's the people outside the racing bubble who we don't know who have also dug so deep to help my family out in this tough time.

"I've also got to thank Lauren and Shane Jackson. They have done a sensational job in organising the different things. Without their help and assistance I'm not sure where Amy and I would be heading financially."

Small heads back to Melbourne on July 20 for radiotherapy treatment before undertaking an extensive course of chemotherapy.

ANEWDAYDAWNING knocked plenty of punters out of the quadrella when he got up at double-figure odds at Warrnambool on Sunday but his breeder Michael Rea was not surprised with the six-year-old's win.

Anewdaydawning defeated Ima Dozer by more than a length to win the 2350-metre race.

"I'm not a punter but I was amazed at the odds they were offering on Anewdaydawning," Rea said. "The horse is a mud lark and got conditions to suit on Sunday. The only thing they were betting on was if he jumped from the barriers. He can be a bit tardy from the gates. He jumped alright on Sunday and as they say, the rest is history. Full credit has to go to his trainer Michael Townsend. He's done a great job training Anewdaydawning."

Anewdaydawning has won six races from his 37 starts.

INTERNATIONALLY-acclaimed jumps jockey Willie McCarthy was impressed with Le Boal's win in a maiden hurdle at Warrnambool on Sunday.

La Boal won the 3200-metre race by 25 lengths with McCarthy saying the win could have been even further if he had wished.

"Le Boal is an exciting jumper," McCarthy said. "I would have to say potentially one of the best that I've ridden. He's a clean-winded horse who showed great balance coming up to his jumps. I'm very confident he'll go through his grades.

"He showed plenty of ability on the flat and loves heavy ground so he ticks a few boxes going forward as a jumper. I think he would be really suited to a race like the Galleywood Hurdle next year."

Le Boal ran fourth in this year's Warrnambool Cup before running fourth on the flat at Flemington his next two starts.

FIRST-SEASON jumper The Rattlin' Bog scored a gutsy win for Warrnambool trainer Aaron Purcell in a maiden hurdle on heavy ground at his home track on Sunday.

The Rattlin' Bog hung on to defeat Praise The Power in the 3200-metre contest. The group 1-winning mentor predicted the six-year-old would be a better steeplechaser.

"I thought The Rattlin' Bog went well," Purcell said. "He's still learning about the jumping caper. He was quite wayward over the concluding stages. It was a good effort because I didn't think he would be really at home on such a heavy track. We'll probably look at going to a restricted hurdle with him for his next start. His long-term future is as a steeplechaser. I'm confident with this season of jumping under his belt he'll come back a better 'chaser next season."

The Rattlin' Bog ran second in a maiden hurdle at the Warrnambool May Carnival.

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