The Alec Laird trained Smart Call will take her place in the Gr1 J&B Met after making a sensational local debut to score a superb win in the R1 million Maine Chance Farms Gr1 Paddock Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Weichong Marwing takes the Paddock Stakes salute as Smart Call cruises to victory (Pic – Wayne Marks)
Laird had told the Sporting Post in an interview during October last year that the Paddock Stakes was Smart Call’s mission and things went perfectly according to plan for the outstanding daughter of Ideal World, after she had pulled a decent 5 draw and was ridden to perfection by Weichong Marwing.
Weichong Marwing – clinical ride
Smart Call broke the Gr1 ice for her sire and for Jessica Slack’s new-look Mauritzfontein when she won the Woolavington 2000 in the 2015 KZN Champions Season, and she added to her impressive cv with an eyecatching victory in one of South Africa’s greatest fillies and mares weight-for-age races.
Her vastly internationally experienced jockey, who is also sponsored by Smart Call’s breeders, always had the 4yo in a striking position off a medium pace set by Harlem Shake, who led Come Fly With Me and Pine Princess.
Into the home run, last year’s Paddock Stakes winner Inara was stalking Smart Call and drew alongside the Mauritzfontein runner at the 300m – and it was race on.
But Smart Call was moving effortlessly and despite the powerful challenge from Inara, the daughter of Ideal World lengthened her stride when asked by her rider and she drew off to win by 2 lengths in a time of 111,77 secs.
The gallant Inara had her heart broken in the last 100m, but hung on to second, ahead of the improved again Bela-Bela, who showed her Cape Fillies Guineas run to be all wrong.
Favourite Same Jurisdiction was slow away and caught wide from her poor draw. While she had a clear run up the middle, the KZN star failed to produce her customary finish and plodded into fourth, with little left in the tank. She returned with an overreach wound on the left fore.
Alec Laird – programme worked out
Winning trainer Alec Laird said that Smart Call’s good draw was ‘a bonus’.
“Weichong Marwing knows her well and she was always in a good position. We will now go for the Met as I don’t think going back to the mile of the Majorca is the ideal route to follow,” he said.
Mauritzfontein boss Jessica Slack was full of praise for the efforts of her trainer and said that the moment felt surreal and like a fairytale.
“I am going to watch the replay now, just to make double sure,” she laughed.
The very talented Smart Call has won 6 races (two Gr1’s) with 6 places from her 15 starts and took her stakes tally to R1 991 125.
A daughter of Ideal World, Smart Call is out of Horse Chestnut’s unraced daughter, Good Judgement – a half sister to Vodacom Durban July winner, Greys Inn, who sired L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate winner Legal Eagle a half hour later.
A stakes winning son of Kingmambo and champion racemare Banks Hill, Ideal World is closely related to successful sires Dansili, Cacique and Champs Elysees, and this is also the family of Gr1 Qipco 2000 Guineas Gr1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas winner, Gleneagles.
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Gr1 Paddock Stakes (SAf-Gr1)
Kenilworth, South Africa, January 9, R1 million, 1800m, turf, good, 1.51.77
1 – SMART CALL (SAF), 59.5, b f 4, Ideal World (USA) – Good Judgement (USA) by Horse Chestnut (SAF). Owner Mauritzfontein (Pty) Ltd (Nom: Miss J B Slack); Breeder Mauritzfontein Stud; trainer AG Laird; jockey Wei Marwing
2 – Inara (SAF), 59.5, b f 4, Trippi (USA) – Mountains Of Mist (IRE) by Shirley Heights (GB)
3 – Bela-Bela (SAF), 54.0, b f 3, Dynasty (SAF) – Mystic Spring (IRE) by Royal Academy (USA)
Margins: 2.00, 1.00, 0.40
