Inside Racing: Belle Couture's debut draws closer, Nick Smart banned

INSIDE RACING: The debut of Black Caviar's half sister Belle Couture is only weeks away while Nick Smart is banned for a year.

Belle Couture, the half sister of Black Caviar enjoys a hose down at Flemington. Picture: Colleen Petch

THE debut of Black Caviar's half sister Belle Couture is only weeks away.

Trainer Danny O'Brien will decide on her first start after Belle Couture gallops at Flemington tomorrow morning.

"I'm certainly thinking she will run before Christmas," O'Brien said of the $2.5 million three-year-old, who already has had two jumpouts at Flemington.

O'Brien said the 16 per cent share in the hands of besieged syndicator BC3 Thoroughbreds was now in the hands of administrators.

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MORPHETTVILLE trainer Nick Smart has been banned for a year after being in possession of a vial containing a synthetic peptide.

SA stewards raided his stables on June 20, finding the substance that was not registered for medical or veterinary use.

Smart pleaded guilty to the charge but argued the previous tenant of the stables had left the vial behind.

Stewards considered Smart's clean record, his circumstances and his guilty plea before issuing the 12-month disqualification.

Smart immediately lodged an appeal and stewards granted him a stay of proceedings.

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CLUB Command will deliberately run on the "wrong leg" when he steps out in Saturday's Razor Sharp Handicap at Randwick.

Trainer Peter Moody said the winner of six of his 13 starts had a history of minor ailments.

He said Club Command suffered wear and tear on his knees and fetlocks and "that's the reason for his preparation in Sydney, just to swing him around the other way".

"He's got a great first-up record. I expect him to run pretty well," Moody said.

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PETER Snowden's successor at Darley will be announced from Dubai.

Darley's Australian general manager Henry Plumptre said he expected a decision soon.

"An announcement, when it is made, will come from Dubai," he said.

"They have my recommendation."

Snowden is contracted to Darley until May, when he and son Paul will branch out under their own banner.

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RACING Victoria chief steward Terry Bailey says Victoria's track-rating system should be overhauled.

He said the system of having a number as part of the rating only confuses punters.

He would prefer to revert to categories of firm, good, yielding, slow and heavy.

"It's clear we are poles apart from the rest of the world," Bailey said after meeting other head stewards recently in Hong Kong.

"We went right around the table and everyone else was on the one page and we are one out on this 1-10 rating.

"We argue whether it is a Slow 6 or a Slow 7. A slow track is a slow track. Why complicate it?"

Bailey will gauge support from track managers and approach the RVL board before the chairman of stewards' conference in Melbourne in early February.