Smashing success for well-bred filly

21 October 2014

Smashing (NZ) (Pins) has plenty to live up to on pedigree and she took a record-breaking step toward fulfilling her potential at Rotorua.

The well-related daughter of Pins set a new mark on Saturday for the 1200 metre course at Arawa Park when she clocked 1.09.33 in winning the Parrots On Hinemoa 3YO.

Smashing is the first foal of the former quality racemare Ruud Van Slaats (NZ) (Van Nistelrooy), who won five races with Group Two successes in the Cal Isuzu and Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes when trained by John Sargent for Trelawney Stud.

She also finished third at Group One level in the Telegraph Handicap and the Waikato Draught Sprint.

The Jason Bridgman-prepared Smashing also carries the colours of the Cambridge farm and she was a winner on debut last season and was put aside after finishing fifth in the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes.

She was a runner-up against the older horses when resuming at New Plymouth last month and showed the benefit of that outing when a determined winner on Saturday.

“She’s out of a very good mare and went well at Taranaki,” stable representative Jamie Richards said.

“She can get a bit keen and it was a lovely ride by Danielle – very encouraging.”

Smashing jumped well for jockey’s premiership leader Danielle Johnson to race on the leader’s quarters and they wore the pacemaker Champagne Rein (NZ) (Captain Rio) down in the closing stages to win by half a-length.

“I gave her a bit of a dig to get outside the leader, I thought Champagne Rein would be the horse to beat,” Johnson said.

“She ended up with the perfect sit and was very relaxed and won well in the end.” – NZ Racing Desk.

Oaks Day glory for Waikato Stud-bred Sulek

Waikato Stud enjoyed a special moment on Oaks Day at Flemington on Thursday, when the New Zealand-bred gelding Sulek – by Super Seth out the O’Reilly mare Tiff And Co, saluted on one of the biggest days of the racing calendar and in front of an international crowd. Bred by the farm in partnership with the Dowager Duchess of Bedford, Sulek took out the A$500,000 Cirka Melbourne Cup Carnival Country Final (1600m) for the third and most lucrative win of his career.

5 November 2026

The Corner with Garry Chittick

And so, another Melbourne Cup has been run. Regretfully, Mary and I were not there. I have no idea how many we attended up until COVID, and I miss the Cup week. Victoria prides itself as the sporting capital of Australia; it may be, they certainly know how to create an event.