Impeccably bred mare Aqua D’ivina will be given the chance to prove herself at 2000 metres and gain valuable black-type in the January Cup at Randwick.
Saturday’s Listed feature will be just the second time Aqua D’ivina has been tested at the distance with her previous experience little guide.
She ran over 2000m in the 2018 Matriarch Stakes at Flemington but never got into the race and finished with the tailenders.
Most recently the five-year-old, who is by Pierro out of Group One winner Aqua D’Amore, ran fourth in the Group Three Belle Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Gosford last Friday week.
“She will run with Kathy O’Hara to ride,” Smith said.
“She has come through her last start in good order.”
O’Hara steered the mare to her most recent win at Kembla Grange three starts ago on November 23.
Aqua D’ivina will carry 53kg with last-start Summer Cup winner Luvaluva topweight with 59kg.
The John Sargent-trained Luvaluva’s Group Three victory was her first since her triumph in the Adrian Knox Stakes in April 2018.
Her stablemate Tinkermosa, winner of the Belle Of The Turf, has 60kg in the benchmark 78-race over 1800m.
Before Saturday, Smith will turn his attention to barrier trials at Randwick.
Heading the 11-horse contingent from the stable on Thursday is dual Group One winner Fierce Impact who runs over 1050m.
“He is working well and Jay Ford will ride him in the trial,” Smith said.
Fierce Impact’s two Group One wins came over 1600m in the spring when he stepped up to claim the Toorak Handicap on October 16 at Caulfield and the Cantala Stakes on November 2 at Flemington.
Smith is hoping Fierce Impact can get a spot in the All-Star Mile on March 14.
“It’s at Caulfield over the distance he won the Toorak so it looks like the right race for him,” he said.
Ten of the 15 places in the field are decided by public vote with the winners of the Futurity and Blamey Stakes gaining automatic entry and Racing Victoria to decide the wild cards.
