Prospective buyers have missed a bargain by overlooking smart New Zealand-bred five-year-old Smart Fortune in recent weeks. There have been no takers for the Art Major gelding who has been advertised on the internet for $15,000.
Smart Fortune, owned by Busselton trainer Barry Howlett, his wife Lynley and their son Jimmy, was an $8 chance when Chris Voak drove him to victory in the 2536m Etch Coatings Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The first prizemoney of $10,277 boosted Smart Fortune’s earnings to $87,388 from nine wins and 22 placings from 55 starts.
The gelding was purchased by the Howlett family as a yearling and he won on debut for trainer-reinsman Brent Mangos when, as an $19.20 chance, he led and defeated Bettor Getta Lover at a 2.1.1 rate over 1700m in a heat of the Young Guns Cardigan Bay Stakes for two-year-olds at Alexandra Park on December 15, 2017.
He then finished third behind Jesse Duke and Star of Montana in the $92,000 group 1 Young Guns final two starts later before travelling to Perth.
Smart Fortune raced truly on the clockwise track at Alexandra Park, but found problems with a habit of knee knocking on the anti-clockwise West Australian tracks. He has overcome this habit to an extent by racing with spreaders and a lugging pole as well as a Murphy blind.
However, he appeared to be quite lazy in Friday night’s event in which Voak had to constantly urge him to concentrate. It was Voak who gained a decisive advantage by getting Smart Fortune away brilliantly from the outside in the field of seven. Smart Fortune easily crossed Bettys Lass and the $1.36 favourite Euphoric Moment, who failed to muster speed from the No. 1 barrier.
In the middle stages and at the bell Voak had to drive Smart Fortune hard in a bid to keep his mind on the job. He battled on doggedly in final 800m of 57sec. to win by a half length from Euphoric Moment.
Smart Fortune has been a handy performer for the Howletts in WA where his 52 starts have produced eight wins and 21 placings. He is the seventh foal out of Affairs Of State, who raced only 12 times in New Zealand for one win and eight placings. Her best effort was finishing second to Western Dream in the group 1 Nevele R fillies series final at Addington in May 2006.
Smart Fortune is a half-brother to five winners, including Chachingcaching (74 starts for 16 wins, 16 placings and $193,663). Smart Fortune’s maternal granddam Under Cover Lover amassed $864,923 from 21 wins and 22 placings from 70 starts. She won the New South Wales Oaks at Harold Park in March 1998, and four months later she was successful in the $150,000 El Dorado final at Moonee Valley.
by Ken Casellas