Schweida struggling to line up the form in Group 2 Spirit of Boom Classic at Doomben
Trainer Kelly Schweida is a brilliant form reader but even he’s having trouble working out where his colt Grafterburners sits in the Spirit Of Boom pecking order.
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Brisbane trainer Kelly Schweida is an astute reader of form but even he’s battling to read the tea leaves for the Group 2 Spirit of Boom Classic at Doomben on Saturday.
Schweida has $9.50 chance Grafterburners in the $300,000 race for two-year-olds over 1200m, with the Team Hawkes-trained Gallo Nero the $4.40 favourite.
With the mixture of southern raiders and locals in the 17-horse field, combined with the flighty nature of juveniles, it could be anyone’s guess who comes out on top in the Spirit of Boom Classic.
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Grafterburners has won two of his five races, including an impressive last-start victory two months ago in the $500,000 QTIS Jewel 2YO (1200m) on the Gold Coast.
Before that he placed fourth in the $2m Inglis Millennium (1100m) at Randwick behind Rivellino and Within the Law, which went on to finish runner-up to Nepotism in last month’s Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) at the same track.
“It’s all different form when you go through there,” Schweida said.
“Magic Millions form is different to that, there’s Kindergarten (Stakes) form.
“It’s all very hard to line up. It’s nearly impossible when I do the form and I do a lot of form.”
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With regular rider Cejay Graham suspended, Schweida has turned to Sydney jockey Jason Collett to steer Grafterburners on Saturday.
“He’s got a bit of an awkward gate (11) and who knows what the track is going to be like,” Schweida said of his star colt.
“I’ll be shocked if the track’s not a Heavy 9. It’s a Soft 7 now (Friday morning) and the forecast is for more rain.
“Some of those two-year-old horses have jumped out of the woodwork.
“It’s a pretty handy field. The favourite (Gallo Nero) ran third in the Magic Millions (2YO Classic), you’ve got Chris Waller’s horses (United States and Kilman). It’s a pretty hot race.”
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Grafterburners is nominated for the $1m Group 2 Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) on May 31 and the Group 1 JJ Atkins (1600m) on June 14, two of the richest juvenile races in Australia, at Eagle Farm.
“It’s trial and error. You’d think he can get to 1400m and a mile but you don’t really know until you get there,” Schweida said.
The trainer continues to be astounded by the strength of this year’s Queensland winter carnival, pointing to his talented mare Miss Joelene being $4.40 in the Listed Brisbane Handicap (1600m) late last month before her odds skyrocketed for the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes (1800m) on the Gold Coast.
“Miss Joelene was in a Listed race the other day and she was the $4.40 second favourite,” he said.
“Two weeks later she’s $34 in the Hollindale (where she finished fourth on a heavy track).
“You think you’ve got some pretty good horses until the opposition comes.”
Originally published as Schweida struggling to line up the form in Group 2 Spirit of Boom Classic at Doomben
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