Under The Louvre to miss the Rupert Clarke

Stradbroke Handicap winner Under The Louvre will miss the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield after drawing a wide barrier.

Trainer Robert Smerdon said Under The Louvre would have run in Saturday’s Group One 1400m handicap had he drawn better than 14 but would now head to Sydney instead for a Group Two race.

“He’s giving up-and-coming horses a lot of weight and from that barrier we thought he would end up right out the back and having to go right around them would be nearly mission impossible,” Smerdon said.

“Going into the race if we drew the right barrier we would have been happy (to run) and if we drew the wrong barrier we’d go to Plan B.”

Smerdon said Under The Louvre would now run in the weight-for-age Premiere Stakes at Randwick, bypassing a clash with Chautauqua in the Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley.

He said Under The Louvre’s rating following his Stradbroke win means weight-for-age races were the best options.

“If he stays in Melbourne he takes on Chautauqua, but he won’t be in Sydney so that is our second option,” Smerdon said.

“If he had gone well enough in the Rupert Clarke we would have given him 27 days into the Manikato Stakes and rolled the dice against Chautauqua.

“Now he he goes to Sydney and it still gives him three weeks, so all things being equal, if he performs well he’ll end up in the Manikato.”

Out Ivanhowe is out of Saturday’s other feature, the Underwood Stakes, after being treated for a cut.

Our Ivanhowe will now run in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington on October 2.