Tiara could be a bitter-sweet result for Mayfield-Smith

By Glenn Davis

It’ll be a bitter-sweet result for trainer Lawrie Mayfield-Smith if Charmmebaby can give him his first Group 1 win in the Tatt’s Tiara at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Mayfield-Smith is resigned to losing Charmmebaby after she has one more start in the Group 3 Pam O’Neill Stakes over 1600 metres at Doomben on July 9.

“Her owners have had a few offers to sell her so she’ll have her final run for me in the Pam O’Neill Stakes next month,” Mayfield-Smith said.

“But, it would be nice if her new owners decided she could stay with me.”

Mayfield-Smith has never trained a Group 1 winner but has placed twice with Sonata, who finished second in the 1996 Queensland Oaks, and third in the J J Atkins - which was formerly the Castlemaine Stakes - with Freedom Road in 1997.

He has trained many good horses over the years, with his best win coming from Post Elect in the Group 2 Villiers Stakes at Randwick in 1990.

Charmmebaby has had four starts for two wins and two seconds for Mayfield-Smith after she was originally trained in Taree by Bob Milligan.

The five-year-old daughter of Charm Spirit won her last start in the Listed Wayne Wilson at Eagle Farm on June 11 after finishing second in the Listed Spear Chief at Eagle Farm on June 4.

“The good thing with her is that she has won at Eagle Farm and can handle the track,” Mayfield-Smith said.

“She’s done everything right since and she’s improved.

“Her last win was very good considering she was a bit tardy out of the gates and had to be revved up.”

After claiming the Taree Cup in November for Milligan, Charmmebaby won her first start for Mayfield-Smith in the Listed Brisbane Handicap at Doomben in December.

She then finished second to the Chris Waller-trained Kubrick in the Listed Bernborough Handicap at Doomben on Boxing Day before returning to Milligan’s stables.

But, after failing in two Listed races, the Carrington Stakes at Randwick in January and the Luskin Star Stakes at Scone in May, Charmmebaby found her way back to Mayfield-Smith for the 2022 TAB Queensland Racing Carnival.

While Mayfield-Smith hopes of claiming his first Group 1, he is already a winner after beating a battle with bowel cancer.

He has been training for 46 years since taking out his licence in 1976 and it was one Sunday morning when he collapsed.

“I collapsed from a haemorrhage and was diagnosed with bowel cancer but luckily they were able to cut the cancer out,” he said.

“I’m fine now, though.”