Smerdon waits on Under The Louvre call

Under The Louvre’s trainer Robert Smerdon will wait until race morning before making the final call whether the horse runs in the Rupert Clarke Stakes.

On Thursday, Smerdon made it knwon he intended to bypass the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes and look at an alternative in Sydney after the topweight drew a wide barrier for Saturday’s 1400m handicap at Caulfield.

Under the rules, Smerdon has until 7.30am on Saturday to make the final decision.

Under The Louvre remains in the field and the reports he would not run and social media commentary prompted Racing Victoria stewards to contact Smerdon on Friday morning.

“When the fields came out, with the outside barrier we thought this was going to be too tough a task so we looked for another option,” Smerdon told RSN927.

“So the likelihood is we’re going to scratch from there and we made it known that that was our likely intention.

“However, our obligation is to scratch by 7.30 on race day, and things can happen in between. Things can change.

“If you had a horse like Bon Aurum come up with a hoof abscess and Counterattack with a high temperature and they came out – unlikely but not impossible – then you’d review the situation because the horse is fit and well and ready to go.

“We just think the circumstances are fairly adverse and we’re going to take another option, more than likely.”