The Melbourne spring prospects of Hurtle Myrtle will tested when she clashes with Doomben 10,000 winner Beaded in the final Group One race of the season at Eagle Farm.Hurtle Myrtle's trainer Mathew Smith regards the Peter Snowden-trained Beaded as the best mare currently racing in the country and rates her the benchmark in Saturday's Tattersall's Tiara (1400m) formerly known as the Winter Stakes.Beaded won the the Group One Doomben 10,000 in May before going under narrowly to Sincero in the Grou

The Melbourne spring prospects of Hurtle Myrtle will tested when she clashes with Doomben 10,000 winner Beaded in the final Group One race of the season at Eagle Farm.

Hurtle Myrtle's trainer Mathew Smith regards the Peter Snowden-trained Beaded as the best mare currently racing in the country and rates her the benchmark in Saturday's Tattersall's Tiara (1400m) formerly known as the Winter Stakes.

Beaded won the the Group One Doomben 10,000 in May before going under narrowly to Sincero in the Group One Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 11.

Smith's patience with Hurtle Myrtle was rewarded when she finished powerfully to beat Zero Rock in the Group Two Dane Ripper Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 4.

The Sydney trainer believes the four-year-old's form was franked when Zero Rock went on to finish third in the Stradbroke Handicap a week later.

"Beaded is obviously the benchmark in the Winter Stakes," Smith said.

"I can't think of any better mare currently racing in Australia than her.

"We've never met Beaded before but Zero Rock's performance in the Stradbroke gives me some idea how I think Hurtle Myrtle will go in the Winter Stakes."

Hurtle Myrtle showed her ability as a spring three-year-old in 2009 racing well against More Joyous and Melito in the Princess Series culminating in a Group One third in the Flight Stakes.

The following autumn she was runner-up to More Joyous in the Group Two Surround Stakes at Warwick Farm then fifth in the Group One Coolmore Classic won by Alverta.

"She ran a good second to More Joyous then was beaten in the Coolmore Classic," he said.

"Unfortunately, she had a few issues with a lung infection and lameness so I gave her long spell after the Surround Stakes."

Smith is now reaping the rewards of the mare's time in the paddock and is confident she can be competitive against Beaded.

"She's over the lung infection and lameness problems she had and I couldn't be happier with the way she's going right now," he said.

"She's a good mare and I'm expecting her to run a big race against Beaded in the Winter Stakes.

"But Beaded is an outstanding mare and she never puts in a bad race."

Connections have no plans to retire Hurtle Myrtle to stud just yet.

"She'll be racing on again next season and if she goes well in the Winter Stakes I'll look at taking her to Melbourne in the spring," he said.

Smith plans to gear her spring campaign towards the Group One Myer Classic (1600m) at Flemington in November.