Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Inexperienced three-year-old Mister Smartee reappeared after a four-month absence when he gave an outstanding performance to snatch a dramatic victory in the Retravision Pace over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
It was a firm indication that the New Zealand-bred gelding will be a major player in the $200,000 WA Derby on November 3.
The son of American sire Always B Miki and trained by Gary Hall Snr is unbeaten at three West Australian starts after a win and a second placing from two appearances in New Zealand.
He was the $1.10 favourite from barrier No. 5 when he moved into the breeze after 700m, with the $31 chance Mikis Beach overracing in front after defying a strong early challenge from $41 chance Velocipede.
Mikis Beach led by a commanding five lengths with 650m to travel and Mister Smartee was struggling to make up significant ground. Mikis Beach looked the winner when he led by two lengths on the home turn and was still a length clear at the 50m mark.
However, Mister Smartee charged home to get up in the final stride to win by a head from the pacemaker. He rated a smart 1.56.6.
“It was a super win,” said reinsman Gary Hall Jnr. “He has some bottom to him, and really he hadn’t done enough work (on the training track) to do that.
“I thought I would be happy to be in the breeze if I didn’t get to the front. And I was happy to lay back in the breeze. But I didn’t think he could win, with horses behind him like Rolling Fire and Skylou likely to be too good for him.
“Mister Smartee had to get tired, but I don’t think he got tired. He was massive, and on the home turn I thought he would get close. However, he was hanging, and if he wasn’t, we would’ve got there a bit easier.
“He will improve, but he is a funny sort of horse who has got some quirks. All I know is that if Never Ending wasn’t here, Mister Smartee would be the best three-year-old in WA.”
Rolling Fire, trained by Justin Prentice and driven by Emily Suvaljko, ran a good trial for the Derby. After starting from the outside of the front line and being restrained to last in the field of ten, he finished strongly to be fifth (four wide) on the home turn before running home with a fast burst to finish third.
Mister Smartee is out of the unraced mare Luna Danza, whose dam Lento earned $272,110 from 15 wins and 15 placings from 64 starts. Lento, a winner of 13 races in New Zealand and two in Victoria, appeared twice at Gloucester Park when she finished fourth and eleventh in heats of the Interdominion championship in March 1996.