News

Alverta may continue racing

18th Jul 2010

Courier Mail - Nathan Exelby - Sunday, 18 July 2010

SUNSHINE Coast-bound trainer Paul Messara has revealed his star mare Alverta may race on next season.

It was originally thought the Group 1 winning Flying Spur mare would retire after her next start in France, but the trainer says racing into her seven-year-old year is a realistic option.

Alverta ran perhaps the race of her life when third to Starspangledbanner in the July Cup after making her own running up the centre of the track.

"She will run in a Group 1 1300m race at Deauville on August 8 and then a 1400m Group 1 on Arc Day," Messara, who will soon open a satellite stable on the Sunshine Coast, said.

"If she runs well in those races, there is a chance we will wait another year before going to stud, because there's a few more Group 1 options up there through to the end of the year.

"If we did that, we would be able to give her another autumn prep down here with races like the Queen of the Turf before retiring to stud in Australia next year.

"She has come through the July Cup really well and I think there's a bit of improvement there yet."

Last year's winter discovery Battlefield will return to the stable in November, with Messara planning a light summer campaign that may take in Doomben's George Moore (G3) Stakes.

"We will keep his campaign pretty light. A lot of horses need that one preparation to really bring them back to their peak after such a long lay off," he said.

Beneteau and Mic Mac are both back in work, while Tattersalls Cup winner Mirasalo will be aimed at the AJC Summer Cup.

Messara announced last week that Group 1 winning trainer Eden Petrie will join the team to oversee his Caloundra stable, where he will have 14 boxes.

"I have known Eden for quite a while now because I often stayed at Wadham Park when I brought horses up previously," Messara said.

"He had told me that if I happened to open up something in Queensland he would appreciate the opportunity to take up a role with us.

"As a stable, you not only want good horses, but a solid team of people and Eden certainly brings great credentials, having trained his first Group 1 winner this year."

Petrie's star Albert The Fat will now join Messara's stable.

"The Sunshine Coast gives me a few more options for my horses," Messara said.

"This will make it a lot easier to move horses around and I will be able to target some of those mares and stakes races up there. It will also give me a base to have a good crack at the winter carnival next year."

The trainer said it makes more sense to have a base in Queensland than Melbourne, because it's closer to his Scone training operation.