Under The Louvre Heads 2016 The Heath 1100 Stakes Nominations

Robert Smerdon’s Stradbroke Handicap winner Under The Louvre is nominated to return to racing on Saturday in The Heath 1100 Stakes 2016 at Caulfield Racecourse.

The Stradbroke winner Under The Louvre is the headline 2016 The Heath Stakes nominee for this weekend at Caulfield. Photo: Daniel Costello.

One of four Group races on the Memsie Stakes Day card in Melbourne this weekend, the $150,000 Group 3 The Heath 1100 Stakes (1100m) attracted 21 nominations on Monday.

Leading the early entries is Smerdon’s six-year-old Excellent Art stallion Under The Louvre who was last seen winning the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) narrowly in Brisbane on June 11.

That followed a brave second to Black Heart Bart in the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) in Adelaide, the winner of which is favourite to win the $500,000 Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on the weekend.

Under The Louvre has had nine previous runs at the track for two wins, four seconds and two thirds but is yet to win over the distance.

At set weights plus penalties he will also carry the 59kg top weight in The Heath 1100 Stakes, a notable rise from the 54.5kg he had on his back for his Eagle Farm win in the winter.

Following Under The Louvre in The Heath 1100 Stakes weights is Shiraz (58kg), the Tony McEvoy-trained seven-year-old second-up for the season after a seventh at Moonee Valley just last Saturday.

He’ll be on the short back-up if accepted, but will be better suited to the extra metres boasting a good record over the 1100m of five wins, three seconds and a third from 11 runs.

He last raced over the distance on March when runner-up to Griante at Rosehill in the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) and Shiraz’s second-up record is also solid (5-2-2-0).

A number of The Heath Stakes nominees come off a first-up win from earlier this season including the Mark Kavanagh-trained Wild Rain who was scratched from last Saturday’s Listed Carlyon Stakes (1000m).

She was saved a weeks for The Heath, the Manhattan Rain mare last seen winning Caulfield’s Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) in mid-July.

The now five-year-old has been well-rested since and looks ideally suited for a return to the track on Saturday over a distance she has had eight previous runs over for four wins and three seconds.

A total of five mares including Wild Rain are nominated for the sprint showdown with the other most notable being Miss Promiscuity who is also entered for a run in the $150,000 Group 3 W.W. Cockram Stakes (1200m).

Others coming off a win include the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Redzel and Hellbent for Darren Weir.

Snitzel four-year-old Redzel saluted in the July Sprint (1100m) at Caulfield on a Heavy (8) track on July 23 and has won a subsequent Warwick Farm trial in Sydney on August 12.

Hellbent is yet to race at the track, but from three runs at the distance has enjoyed two wins and a second.

The I Am Invincible stallion won his four-year-old debut on August 10 at Sandown-Hillside in a Benchmark 78 over 1000m and will appreciate getting out over 1100m for the first time since his January win down the Flemington straight in the Inglis Dash.

Check out the full The Heath 1100 Stakes 2016 nominations below before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au where your first deposit will be matched by the house 100% up to $500 in bonuses (excluding NSW) when you quote the code BETBONUS (T&Cs apply).

2016 The Heath Stakes Nominations

Caulfield Racecourse – 27/08/2016