A Smart Filly Cheered By Tens Of Thousands

Im just glad Mr Hawaai told me to send all my mares to Ideal World this year and that I always listen to him! Tx Stevie

They say there was 33 000 people there, its got worse since Phumelela have taken over, there wear always 50 000 plus at the met,and they gave tickets away for free. And they sit and say what a success the met was, they fooling them self's

savasp wrote: They say there was 33 000 people there, its got worse since Phumelela have taken over, there wear always 50 000 plus at the met,and they gave tickets away for free. And they sit and say what a success the met was, they fooling them self's

Crowd was up on the two previous years

Felix Coetzee and Bartie Leisher at the MET

I am saying since they have taken over cape racing crowds have dropped, crowds were always 50 000 plus

Bob Brogan wrote: Felix Coetzee and Bartie Leisher at the MET

Two legends and a pleasure to talk to.

One of the most enjoyable interviews of my career was with Felix shortly after he had arrived back from Hong Kong, had me engrossed for about an hour and the story of Silent Witness was particularly fascinating.

I met Bartie at the July three years back. Also fascinating to talk to and full of philosophies. We were in the Greyville box of Sean Tarry's and he made the correct assessment that Tarry would soon be champion. He observed Tarry not dwelling on his big win a few hours earlier but already talking and thinking towards the future. That is what champions are made of he said. Later he made one of the all time funniest statements I have heard and in philosophical style too. Muzi had walked in and he said to me, "Now here is a guy who is underachieving". As Muzi walked past he grabbed him by the shoulder and said, "Listen to me just because you are short it doesn't mean you are young it means you are a jockey." Muzi looked perplexed! Bartie must be pleased to see Muzi fulfilling his potential these days as he is no doubt now a top echelon jockey.

Brilliant

I see the filly is heading to the Breeders Cup, sure she will do her connections proud

I know it's a long way off and a hard battle for South Africans, but if it's the fillies and Mares turf it will be there for the taking

Am I being naive or what,but nowhere do I read of comparisons being made between Beach Beauty andthis filly .I mean she has now won 3 Grade 1's and give the boys a galloping lesson in the Met.Still too early??

Smart Call aimed at Breeders’ Cup
PUBLISHED: 01 FEBRUARY 2016

Smart Call goes into quarantine later this month with the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita in California in the first week in November her ultimate target…

Alec Laird said: “We plan to get her to England in June when she will stay at Mary Slack’s Abington Place stables in Newmarket with me as the trainer.

“We haven’t yet decided whether she should have her prep races in England. France would also be a possibility although America might offer a softer option.

“On the other hand it might make more sense to travel to America with the other UK horses going for the Breeders’ Cup. But we now know that we have the best horse in South Africa to send there.”

True. The daughter of Ideal World didn’t just beat her male opponents, she absolutely slaughtered them, coming right away in the final furlong to put three and a half lengths between herself and Queen’s Plate winner Legal Eagle. The 8-1 chance’s time of 2 min 3.17 sec has been bettered only three times in the last 15 Mets – by Pocket Power in 2007, River Jetez three years later and Martial Eagle in 2013.

Even Laird (also successful with London News 19 years earlier) admitted: “This was beyond my expectations. I was hoping to win but not at as well as that.”

Owner-breeder Jessica Slack added: “I’m blown away. It’s like a fairytale. Grandma (Bridget Oppenheimer) would be really happy.”

JP van der Merwe,25, repeatedly saluting as he began to pull up, did not finally know the ride was his until he landed at Cape Town airport just after 9.00am. Weichong Marwing’s bad back had also cost the sidelined jockey a bonanza pay day in the CTS Million Dollar.

Captain America, who ran on well to take third, is to be aimed at the HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes (April 2) that he won last year. Brett Crawford said: “He won’t go to Durban because the tracks there don’t suit him.”

Fourth-placed Light The Lights will go there, though, with Glen Kotzen saying: “This horse is progressively getting better and our main mission will probably be the Durban July.”

Crawford will, however, send Delma Sherrell’s Gulf Storm who benefitted from first time blinkers to get the best of a blanket finish for the Betting World Cape Flying Championship and give Corne Orffer, 35, his first Grade 1 success.

The Philippi trainer, who also won this with Laisserfaire in 2002, said: “I didn’t put them on before because he used to over-race but, coming back to 1 000m, I felt I had to. I tried them last week and he put up a superb gallop. He will run again at Scottsville where he was second in the Tsogo Sun Horse Sprint last season.”

Brutal Force was beaten only a head and Donovan Dillon reported: “I thought I was going to do it. He ran a hell of a race.” Joey Ramsden added that the four-year-old is likely to stick to sprints.

Carry On Alice (third) led until about 30m out and S’Manga Khumalo said: “She just got tired.” Tevez made up a fair bit of ground to take a close-up fourth – the first four were covered by less than half a length – and Aldo Domeyer reported: “He was comfy most of the way and for a while I thought I might get there but at the end he just stayed on.”

Anton Marcus, last but one on the heavily-backed and disappointing Guiness, was fined R 1 000 for failing to keep straight for the first 200m. The vet could find nothing wrong with Trip Tease (last) but Piere Strydom said his mount coughed.


By Michael Clower
Picture (Liesl King): Smart Call (Anton Marcus up) at the J&B Met gallops

My feeling they should go straight to America. They can enter Smart Call for the Beverly D over 1900m which another South African filly won Crimson Palace. Crimson Palace also won the Paddock Stakes just like Smart Call. This race is in August every year at Arlington, the same day as the Arlington Million. That should be a good preparation!