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Smart Missile; Star Witness; Reward For Effort

* ARROWFIELD Stud’s freshman sire Smart Missile posted his first winner on Saturday.

Debut runner Smart ‘N’ Sassy got Smart Missile, a son of Fastnet Rock, off the mark with a dashing win at Riccarton in New Zealand.

The Steven Autridge trained filly missed the start by three lengths in the 800m dash but quickly closed the gap on the field, took control of the race and pressed on to win by three-quarters of a length.

Smart ‘N’ Sassy (Smart Missile x Panorama Ridge by Empire Maker) was bred by Matt and Jo Cloros with Arrowfield and was purchased for $150,000 by Te Akau Racing at the Easter yearling sale in Sydney.

Her dam Panorama Ridge was bred by Juddmonte Farms and is a daughter of G1 French Oaks winner Nebraska Tornado (Storm Cat).

The mare has a yearling colt by Redoute’s Choice and foaled a Snitzel colt in September.

Smart Missile raced only six times at two and three for three wins. He was unbeaten in just two 2YO starts in the Listed Breeders’ Plate and the G3 Todman Stakes beating Sepoy and Foxwedge.

At three he won the G3 Run to the Rose from Foxwedge, Helmet and Karuta Queen and followed up with a close second to Manawanui in the G1 Golden Rose. He raced just twice more before he was retired to Arrowfield where he has covered over 600 mares in his first three books.

• THE winners have been coming at a fast rate for dual G1 winner Star Witness this season.

Star Witness has had an impressive 10 winners this month, making him the leading second season sire in Australia by winners this season and is second to Hinchinbrook by earnings.

Well bred filly Minetti opening her account with a dominant victory at Ballarat last Thursday to be his 15th winner of the season and was followed on Saturday

by the win of his smart two-year-old Star Turn at Randwick.

Both horses are prepared by Team Hawkes with Star Turn a possible Magic Millions Classic candidate.

“Whether we head towards the Magic Millions or put him away and head to the Golden Slipper, that’s what we have to contend with,” said co-trainer Michael Hawkes.

Star Turn was purchased at last January’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $400,000, being the most expensive yearling by Star Witness sold in 2015.

He is a half-brother to three other winners including G2 placed Straight Gold from the G3 winner Golden Delicious.

Golden Delicious has a yearling filly by Star Witness and was covered last spring by Stratum

Minetti improved on placings at her first two starts to score a bold front running win at Ballarat.

She was passed in shy of her reserve at the Magic Millions when consigned by Rosemont Stud and is the second winner for the G2 winning Stravinsky mare La Italia who died last year.

• UNBEATEN colt Reward For Effort colt Dalradian placed his sire at the top of this season’s Australian 2YO premiership with his win at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

Reward For Effort, a G1 winning son of Exceed And Excel, won last season’s Victorian freshman sire title.

Dalradian joined some notable 2YO winners of Saturday’s $250,000 juvenile feature. They have included G1 winner and sire Starspangledbanner and brilliant filly Fontiton.

Dalradian (Reward For Effort x Miss Ireland by O’Reilly) was stepping out for the second time in his career following a convincing debut win at Bendigo.

Bred and sold by Chatswood Stud, Dalradian was a $55,000 purchase for trainer Darren Weir in conjunction with John Foote Bloodstock and managing owner David Speechley.

Dalradian’s dam Miss Ireland is an unraced half-sister to stakes performers Launfal and Azure. She has since produced an Anacheeva filly but failed to get in foal to the Caulfield Guineas winner last year.