Lindsey Smith is confident he’s found the key to Ringmeister in the lead-up to Perth’s Festival of Racing.

Ringmeister (6g Arena – Alsatia by Marauding) tuned up for his latest campaign with a Listed victory in the $100,000 Northam Cup (1600m) on October 28.  “He ran second in the Northam Cup last year and then I set him for the Perth Cup,” Smith recalled.  “But that was a mistake.  He’s not a 2400 metre horse and we will keep him to shorter trips this time.”

Summer options include the LR Ascot Gold Cup (1800m) this Saturday and the G3 R J Peters Stakes (1500m) on November 17.  Ringmeister has also been nominated for the G1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on November 24.

Smith knows how to train a Group 1 winner.  He has prepared 11 to date – the majority have been at Ascot mingled in with career highlights at Flemington in the VRC Victorian Derby (Plastered) and VRC Australia Cup (Old Comrade).

“We bought Ringmeister for $50,000 from Lomar Park at the 2008 Classic Sale,” Smith said.  “He’s had a few issues but has been a wonderful horse and the Northam Cup prizemoney took him past $250,000.”

His sire Arena won the 1998 Victorian Derby and his stud record at Lomar Park reads 196 winners of 523 races at a 58% strike-rate.

Ringmeister is one of 22 stakes performers by Arena and that list also includes his older brother Whitefriars.  Bearing a big white blaze, Whitefriars was a G2 sprint winner at Flemington and Moonee Valley and was runner-up in the G2 Winterbottom Stakes on a hit-and-run raid to Perth two years ago.

Their dam Alsatia has a perfect winning record with her six foals that have raced.  She has a 2yo gelding named Valatia (Valixir) and a yearling colt by Arena.  The mare is due to Encosta de Lago later this month and she has been booked into Uncle Mo.

Arena (Danehill) is available at an $8,800 (inc gst) service fee at Lomar Park.  For further information, breeders can contact owner Fred Peisah on (02) 93628100 or 0418 408 804 and studmaster Paul Davies on (02) 46531315 or 0408 503 979

– Karl Patterson

RINGMEISTER
Son of Arena wins in Perth