Racing: Phenomenal sprint drives mare to another cup win

MIKE DILLON looks at the two major features on the final day of the Wellington Cup carnival at Trentham.

This was Melbourne Cup stuff, not the Wellington Cup.

The moment Smiling Like began the phenomenal sprint that swept her to victory at Trentham on Saturday Sir Patrick Hogan put down his binoculars.

The sprint Sir Patrick missed in close-up would have won November's Melbourne Cup.

Remarkably, it was even more devastating than the prolonged burst the mare produced to win the New Zealand Cup at Riccarton in November.

Even at the top level horses will generally hit the end of their sprint before the finish of 3200m and grind the last 200m to 300m.

As she did at Riccarton, Smiling Like was still accelerating beyond the finish on Saturday.

It was vintage Kiwi winning the 1983 Melbourne Cup from second last at the 900m.

Where does she get such a sprint from? She was almost certainly the smallest horse racing at Trentham and a year ago you would never suggest she was Melbourne Cup material. Even Wellington Cup material.

Ironically, the performance that confirmed she is capable of winning a Melbourne Cup is what will almost certainly stop her running in the race.

Even if Smiling Like fails to hold the pregnancy to Cape Cross, Sir Patrick Hogan has ruled out any chance of the mare taking on the famous Flemington race.

"She's too small to carry the weight they'd give her now she's won the New Zealand and Wellington cups."

As much as he would love to know the status of Smiling Like's pregnancy, Sir Patrick says he will not risk upsetting the mare by testing her before the group one Whakanui Stud Stakes at Te Rapa on Saturday week.

If she proves to be in foal after the Whakanui Stakes she will not race again.

There is a theory some mares improve their racing form when in foal. Sir Patrick believes that applies only to highly strung mares who become soothed by pregnancy.

No pregnancy could be responsible for the 12 to 15 lengths Smiling Like has found in her form.

Almost certainly the transformation has come about through Smiling Like needing time to develop inner strength to propel her tiny frame.

"I've never seen a horse who can sprint like that at the end of 3200m," said co-trainer Keith Hawtin. "She's amazing."

Smiling Like and her stunning pedigree have Sir Patrick smiling like an extremely lucky Irishman.

But he admits it was definitely not love at first sight.

"Graeme Rogerson asked me to call round to his stable to look over a few horses an Asian client of his was looking to sell because he wanted out of racing.

"When Graeme opened the stable door I said: "You're not going to try and sell me that are you? Look at it, it's a pit pony."

"He said its dam is by Sir Tristram, and it's a half sister to Nimue."

Sir Patrick admits they were the two magic words and immediately produced the chequebook, which became $100,000 lighter.

Sir Patrick makes a lot of his own luck, but the luck of the Irish held for him with Smiling Like. His good mate is Nelson Schick, proprietor of Windsor Park Stud, which housed Smiling Like's sire Star Way and her dam Eustaci.

Schick was also invited the same day to inspect the Rogerson horses and cops a bit of stick that an extended social event the night before made him slower than usual the next morning.

"I would have bought her for sure," said Schick at Trentham on Saturday.

Sir Patrick is a breeder first and a racehorse owner second. Having a mare who can run 3200m like Smiling Like is a lifetime dream, but Sir Patrick admits he would rather have her in his broodmare paddock.

Ebony Honor will get his turn eventually. As he had done in the Avondale Cup, Queen Elizabeth and Auckland Cup, he momentarily looked the winner when he burst to the front in the home straight, but like the rest of the field, looked to be in another class to the winner.

"No excuses," said rider Mark Sweeney. "He had the best and did not get to the front too soon.

"He'll get his turn, but it won't be against that horse. That was amazing stuff."

Co-trainer Stephen McKee summed it up.

"The winner is six and has her strength, our bloke is four. He'll probably sprint like her when he's six."

Starina, brand new to the top grades, showed her staying potential by finishing strongly into third.

Michael Coleman said Auckland Cup winner Our Unicorn was never comfortable racing against the running rail two thirds of the way back in the field.

"At the 600m he wasn't going to get anywhere near them. He got rolling a bit after that, but couldn't sprint.

"Probably the 57kg told on him the last bit."

Michael Walker loved his first group one victory on Smiling Like, but like a true professional he turned the page quickly.

Winning a group one was only a milestone on the way to his true goal - beating Lance O'Sullivan's 162 winners for a season.

Walker is still behind the strike rate O'Sullivan achieved when he established his 162 in the 1996-97 season.

O'Sullivan rode his 100th winner on January 26 of that year.

Smiling Like was Walker's 91st win and he took the total to 92 when he won the first race at Wairoa yesterday, then to 93 with victory aboard Jerome Jerenevich in Race 9 for Smiling Like's trainers Graeme Rogerson and Keith Hawtin.

Walker's exuberance and enthusiasm is admirable. It added another dimension to the Wellington Cup on Saturday.

"I can't believe what this feels like," said Walker as Hogan told him he could keep the Irish dual green colours to frame as a memento.