Matt Smith hoping for winter Icebreaker at Rosehill races

Icebreaker might not win first-up at Rosehill, but trainer Matthew Smith is confident the gelding is in for a good campaign.

The lightly raced four-year-old won three straight at Canberra over a mile last prep and resumes in Saturday’s Racing And Sports Handicap (1400m).

Although 1400m is short of his best, Smith expects Icebreaker to give a solid account of himself, especially if the track comes up soft.

“He has won three in a row down in Canberra and he likes wet tracks,” Smith said.

“He will win in town. I don’t know if Rosehill will be his track because he gets back and runs on, but it’s a nice race to kick him off in.

“There is a mile race at Warwick Farm a couple of weeks later and that will be perfect for him.”

Smith is eyeing the Big Dance or Little Dance on Melbourne Cup day and will aim for qualifying races like the Nowra Cup to get Icebreaker eligible.

“We will try to knock over a race like a Nowra Cup and get him qualified,” he said.

Also heading north is stablemate True Marvel, set to contest the Brisbane Cup (3200m) after his fourth in the Sandown Cup (3200m).

“He is a nine-year-old but he’s flying,” Smith said.

“His run the other day was fantastic at Sandown. He ran fourth but he could have easily won, they just went slow.”

“He has an amazing two-mile record. He has run second in a Sydney Cup (in 2023), he’s run third in a Brisbane Cup (2023) and second in a Sandown Cup (2021).”