The heartbreak of Trentham was well and truly healed for the connections of Smug (NZ) (Complacent) at Woodville on Sunday, when the rising star came out on top in a stirring edition of the Glenanthony Simmentals Stud Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase (4800m).
The son of Complacent was initially capable hurdler and placed in the Hawke’s Bay Hurdle (3100m) last season, but when he switched into the steeplechasing role for the first time last month, he looked right at home.
Smug made every post a winner in that debut, until disaster struck, when his rider confused the two open-rail gaps and took the wrong route out of the figure-eight course at Trentham. The horse was disqualified and jockey Michael Roustoby went for a three-meeting suspension, alongside two other riders that had followed suit.
His trainer Chris Wood was understandably disappointed with the outcome, but having seen Smug’s ability in that effort, he decided to press onto the feature, where Smug was right in the market, closing a $6.30 third-elect behind Jakama Krystal ($3.60) and champion jumper West Coast ($5.60).
In similar fashion to his debut, Smug was out in front early, jumping beautifully with his ears pricked under Mathew Gillies. He got into a good rhythm lobbing along inside of Izymydaad, with West Coast settling in the trail.
Gillies ramped up the tempo entering the third and final lap and it wasn’t long before his rivals began to tire, and suddenly Smug and West Coast were a mile in front, setting up a grandstand finish for the big crowd.
Smug had a life when brushing through the penultimate fence, but Gillies didn’t flinch, pressing onto the final jump, and the pair flew it in unison. Neither would give an inch in the last 100m, but Smug kicked up in the shadows of the post to take a thrilling contest by a neck.
Wood had contemplated starting in the maiden steeplechase earlier in the day, but elected to go for the $75,000 prize and was rapt to pull it off.
“When we put the horse in the race, we were umming and arring about whether we would go for the maiden steeplechase instead,” he said. “But, I spoke to the owner and he said, when you put two and two together, he wouldn’t have been a maidener anymore, so he deserved his chance to run in the big race.
“I fully agreed, and that’s what we decided to do. Unfortunately Michael was suspended and missed out on the ride, but that’s the racing game, it has ups and downs, as we all know.
“He’s just thrived since that run at Wellington, he’s done everything right and he’s a happy horse. I couldn’t ask for much more.
“I’d like to thank Mish Lines for looking after him, she used to work for me but is trying something else in her career now. She loves Smug and he loves her, she took him down to Wellington for me and again to Fielding this time.
“She looks after him like a king.”
The win was Smug’s second in 47 starts, and Wood believes the seven-year-old has found his sweet spot over the bigger fences.
“He struggled in the hurdle races because he just didn’t quite have the pace to keep up, but with the slightly slower tempo in the steeplechases, I think he’s found his niche in life,” he said.
“I think we’ll have to go to the Great New Zealand Steeplechase, he’ll go to Te Aroha in a couple of weeks’ time and we’ll map out a plan from there.”
Bred by Simms Davison of Mapperley Stud, Smug is raced by Ron and Maryanne Thompson.
“Ron is about 82, and he’s had a horse in work every month of his life since he was 20 years of age,” Wood said. “He still loves the racing and is a very good owner.
“I inherited him when Tony Gillies gave up from training, they came knocking on my door and that was very kind of them.”
The result continued a successful riding return for Gillies this year, having taken out the Waikato Hurdle (3200m) last month aboard Dictation.
“Chris gave me a lot of support back in the day, when I gave up riding and worked for him over in Aussie,” Gillies said. “It was good to be able to pay him back today.
“Michael Roustoby gave me good instructions, which were much appreciated. The horse was game and if it was live fences he would’ve won by further, he likes those more.
“When I watched him at Wellington, he was making two lengths at every fence. They just couldn’t stay with him, and I think he’ll be even more promising once he gets back over those live ones in those good races later on.
“I knew West Coast had the heavyweight and I thought, if I could stay next to him, I can wear him back. He had the upper hand after the second-last, but it just shows how tough Smug is, he came back really well.
“It was good to see West Coast show that form too.”
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing for the talented hoop, having had a brief injury lay-off following a fall at Te Rapa on the same day, but he said that comes part and parcel when riding over fences.
“It’s good to get back and get back out here doing it, those ups and downs are what jumps racing is all about,” he said. “As long as you can handle that, then you can carry on.”