Six winners in 29 days for Smart Missile

Last season’s Champion First Season Sire Smart Missile has kept up his good work in the first month of 2016/17 with six new winners since 1 August.

The latest additions to his record are the colts Revolver last Saturday, and Malkara on Monday.

Star Thoroughbreds’ Revolver has clearly benefited from his two educational runs as a juvenile and bounced out smartly from the inside gate in the 1250-metre maiden on Newcastle’s Beaumont track to take up a comfortable lead.

On the home-turn Chad Lever sent him to better ground in the centre of the track and opened the throttle at the 200-metre mark, sending Revolver to an easy four-length win.

Watch Revolver’s win at Newcastle.

Revolver is the fourth foal and second winner of the Canny Lad mare Sneakerella, a winning half-sister to Group 1 winner Danglissa. Trained by Chris Waller, he was bought for $120,000 from Bylong Park Thoroughbreds at Magic Millions by Star Thoroughbreds, whose principal Denise Martin was inducted as an Associate to the Tasmanian Racing Hall of Fame on Saturday evening.  

Michael Costa produced Malkara at Bathurst eight days after the colt’s fast-finishing debut fifth at Nowra.  This time he jumped well, but was forced to settle near the rear, before making ground 400 metres out and collaring The Veal Thing in the straight to score a soft win.

The stable commented after the race on Instagram, “He has some better races in store, but is still learning his racing craft.”

Watch Malkara’s win at Bathurst.

Malkara, a $90,000 Inglis Classic buy for Costa’s New Breed Racing from Rheinwood Pastoral, is the first foal of Midnight Wine (by Black Minnaloushe), a Group-placed, city-winning grand-daughter of the good New Zealand racemare and producer Peat. 

It’s interesting to note that Black Minnaloushe’s sire Storm Cat also appears close-up in the pedigrees of Smart Missile’s stakes-winning daughter Sassy ‘N’ Smart, the Group-placed filly Smart Manoeuvre and the city-winning colt Cadogan.

The combination of Smart Missile with mares by Storm Cat’s sons duplicates the blazingly fast American filly Crimson Saint – a potent cross that has produced Group 1 winners Irish Lights and Foxwedge.

Smart Missile leads the Australian Second Season Sires’ list on winners, and is second to Dream Ahead by earnings.