CHAMPION trainer Gary Hall Sr described Mister Smartee’s win in last night’s $1.25 million Group 1 Nullarbor as one of the biggest and most satisfying of his stellar career.
It’s a huge call from the 75-year-old given he has won a staggering 13 WA Pacing Cup, 10 Fremantle Cups and three Inter Dominion finals.
“That’s right up there with anything, seriously,” Hall Sr said. “The build-up to the race was enormous, there was a real us against them thing with the eastern states horses, especially Swayzee.
“I felt there was a bit of a lack of respect and understanding of our horses and how this (Gloucester Park) track races … yes, we had a point to prove.
“As the race got closer, I grew in confidence. Just this week I thought we finally had him spot on.
“He’s a fantastic horse, this one. He’s second-only to ‘Quinny’ (Im Themightyquinn) as the best I’ve and with the potential to just keep getting better.”
Mister Smartee, a five-year-old former Kiwi pacer having just his 22nd start, sat in the one-one trail and stalked the two favourites Minstrel (leader) and Swayzee (outside leader) as they went to war up front.
Swayzee, one of the great stayers of the modern era, mauled favourite Minstrel through opening splits of the last mile in 29.4 and 27.8sec.
Minstrel looked to have Swayzee beaten before the final bend, but the swoopers, headed by Mister Smartee and Gee Heza Sport, were looming.
“Yes, we had the sit on them, but it still takes a huge effort to race one-off the pegs the whole way, chasing a pace like that, and pull out three-wide then run them down,” driver Gary Hall Jr said.
“He’s done a mighty job in a short period of time, this horse.
“Credit to Dad (Hall Sr) because I worried for a while we’d left him spelling and were behind the eight-ball, but when I worked him this week I knew he’d peaked at the right time.”
Mister Smartee’s 1min54.5sec mile rate for the long 2536m trip was just 0.5sec outside the track record.
Hall Sr said he would now consider a trip to the Brisbane Inter Dominion in July.
“I said he had to win tonight for me to think about it seriously … I’ve got to think now,” he said.
Another former Kiwi pacer Gee Heza Sport, having just his seventh start in Australia for Team Bond, ran a slashing second, while his stablemate and favourite Minstrel fought on bravely for third.
Swayzee was struggling before the final bend, but kept digging deep as he always does to finish a close-up fourth.
The hard luck story was fifth-placed Mighty Ronaldo, who was bolting with nowhere to go over the final stages.
Mister Smartee gave WA its first home state win in the three runnings of Nullarbor.
“That’s a big part of the thrill. It’s really been eating away at me, especially this week in the build … WA just needed to win our own big race,” Hall Jr said.
Excitingly, most of the big guns from the Nullarbor will lock horns again next Friday night in the $300,000 Group 1 Fremantle Cup.
PHOTO: Pacepix
