Craig Kerry
Tom Charlton hopes an extended break can get Maison Louis back to his best as the Randwick trainer weighs up another Queensland campaign with the group 1 winner.
The 2025 Queensland Derby champion resumes in the benchmark 100 handicap over 1500m at Randwick on Saturday after three trials back from a 16-week spell.
The Super Seth gelding was sixth in the listed Beauford (2300m) at Newcastle on November 15 in his most recent start, which ended a four-run winless spring.
Charlton was eyeing the Gosford Cup (2100m) on May 9 second up for Maison Louis but was unsure if he would then campaign in Sydney or Brisbane.
“He’ll probably need the run there on Saturday over that trip, then we’ll see where we go,” Charlton said.
“Last preparation, perhaps he had just a bit of a long winter before that. But his second-up run was excellent in the Hill Stakes at weight-for-age, and then he just didn’t quite replicate that, so we gave him a nice break.
“He was effective this time of the year last year, and he handles wet ground.”
Dylan Gibbons is aboard on Saturday, and he also rides Polymnia for Charlton.
The mare, a $3.60 favourite for the benchmark 94 (1800m) on Saturday, is coming off placings in the Aspiration Quality and Epona Stakes. She was an emergency for the JRA Plate (2000m) won by Asterix last Saturday.
“This might be a bit better race for her anyway,” Charlton said.
“The 1800 benchmark 94 would suit well. She’s having a good preparation and hopefully it’s a good option for her.”
Charlton said she may then head to the listed Centaurea Stakes 2000m for fillies and mares at Morphettville on May 9.
The resuming King Pedro ($13) and first-starter Girl About Town ($17) are other chances for Charlton and Gibbons. King Pedro is in the last, a benchmark 78 over 1600m, and Girl About Town is in the two-year-old race to start the Anzac Day card.
“He’ll be 2000 to maybe even 3200m in time,” Charlton said of King Pedro.
“We’ll start him off in Sydney and try and pick up a benchmark race, then there are other races for him in Sydney or Queensland over a bit of ground.
“Girl About Town, she’s ready to get started, she’s got ability and can run well.”
Meanwhile, Charlton said Snow In May was going to the Inglis Chairman’s Sale, but he hoped to have her back to race in the Dark Jewel Classic at Scone on May 16.
In other news, Zac Lloyd will miss the Hawkesbury city meeting on May 2 after copping a careless riding suspension on Wednesday at Canterbury Park.
Lloyd was outed from April 29 to May 6 for shifting in on Decalogue in the first.
Top jockey James McDonald was also suspended for careless riding. His breach came in the seventh on Blitzgal. He was suspended from April 27 to May 3. McDonald was already missing the May 2 meetings while on holidays.
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