Albury trainer Mitchell Beer will saddle his first Group 1 runner in his own name when Mnementh runs in The Goodwood at Morphettville.
When training in partnership with Max Hinton at Mornington the pair took Jacqui’s Joy across to Morphettville for the 2016 Australasian Oaks (2000m), only to finish down the track.
A runner in a Group 1 race almost goes against the grain for Beer who looks to place his horses to where they are best suited in winning a race.
But he is making an exception with Mnementh who will have a large contingent from Albury follow him across to Adelaide for the Group 1 race.
Earlier this month Mnementh won the Wagga Town Plate after Beer made the decision to stay closer to home rather than travel to Warrnambool for the Wangoom Handicap.
“As a trainer you are always looking for your best possible chance of winning,” Beer said.
“I had my bags packed, the horse packed, ready to go to Warrnambool.
“You just want to run them where they can win and to be honest this is the complete opposite, but it’s such a great feeling.
“I reckon there’s 30 or 40 people going from Albury going over for the weekend. The horse is owned by the committee here, so they’re great supporters of mine, great supports of racing.
“Sometimes you have to put aside the best winning chance for the experience of it all and I can’t wait.”
As part of the country experience for the Group 1 contest over 1200m on Saturday, Beer is taking Jordan Mallyon across to Adelaide for the race.
Of the Mnementh’s nine wins from 27 starts, Mallyon has been aboard on six occasions.
“Jordan is a country jockey, but I’m a country trainer and he’s a country horse,” Beer said.
“I can’t think of anyone who would try harder and would want a better result than Jordan.
“The horse owes us nothing, but you can’t win one sitting at home on the couch.”
Tuesday’s barrier draw was not kind to Beer and the connections of Mnementh drawing 16 in the 17-horse field while stablemate November Falls is going as a travelling companion to start in the Group 3 SA Fillies Classic (2500m).
Beer, who loves a party, said he fears for liver should Mnementh win, or runs exceptionally well in The Goodwood, adding he will need to be subdued as he needs to be back in Albury for races next Monday.
Look out Adelaide.