Exciting three-year-old Smooth Chino is back in work but what path he pursues on his return is up in the air, according to trainer, Indianna Weinert.
The Albany-based trainer has some thinking to do with a multitude of options open to her after Smooth Chino’s magnificent unbeaten maiden campaign.’
It’s new territory for Weinert, in the early stages of her training career, but with a horse that shows untapped potential, it’s one she’s lapping up.
Weinert is toying with the idea of staying at home and targeting rich Ascot carnival races later this year or venturing east for an interstate assault.
Weinert holds Smooth Chino in the highest regard after the son of Maschino returned three wins from three starts, celebrating a meteoric rise.
Smooth Chino won his maiden at Mount Barker, followed up at Bunbury but signaled big race plans with a fast-finishing win in the Magic Millions WA 3YO Trophy (1200m) at Pinjarra.
Giving Weinert and jockey Austin Galati their biggest win in racing, Smooth Chino unleashed a sizzling sprint from near last a won by a long neck from London’s Image.
“He came back into work pretty much about two weeks ago,” Weinert said on Tabradio.
“He’s just ticking along, going to the beach every day.
“Everything looks real positive so far and I’m very happy with him.
“We’ve got nothing mapped out for him yet, just getting him fit, getting him up, see how long it takes and then we’ll look at races.
“I don’t know if we head east or stay here, I’m not sure.
“I’ll aim him for the biggest races we can here, he’s proven to have so much talent, but I haven’t mapped anything out over east yet.”
Whichever way Weinert decides to go, Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, she’s confident Smooth Chino will be a force to be reckoned with.
Adding to her anticipation is knowing although Smooth Chino hasn’t tasted defeat, she’s barely scratched the surface with him.
‘He’s just so green and riding him every day, he can’t stay straight, he’s wobbly, he has no idea,” Weinert said.
“He has no idea how fast he is or how good he is, he’s such a baby, we call him the ‘Kindy kid’.
“We’ll go day by day with him this prep.”
Julio Santarelli