Graeme and Debbie Rogerson are dreaming of the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) once more with their multiple Group One winner Sharp ‘N’ Smart following his pleasing trial outing at Te Rapa on Saturday.
The former New Zealand Horse of the Year finished fourth in a star-studded line-up over 1000m, which was taken out by Group One performer Alabama Lass.
The six-year-old son of Redwood competed in last year’s Melbourne Cup but was a shadow of his former self according to Graeme Rogerson, but the Hamilton horseman is buoyed by the way his gelding has returned following a decent spell.
“He went a couple of nice races (last season),” Rogerson said. “He ran third in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup (Group 2, 2500m) and Manawatu Challenge Stakes (Group 2, 1400m), but he wasn’t the same as he was as a three-year-old, so we gave him a really long spell.
“Bailey (Rogerson, jockey) said he wanted to be a racehorse on Saturday, he wanted to go to the line, and I am very happy with the horse’s work.”
Rogerson is hoping Sharp ‘N’ Smart has returned to his three-year-old form, which netted three Group One victories and a New Zealand Horse of the Year crown, with the hope of getting to the Melbourne Cup once more.
“He is probably going to kick-off in the Foxbridge Plate (Group 2, 1200m),” Rogerson said.
“He is going to be nominated for the Melbourne Cup. He will run here and run in the Livamol Classic (Group 1, 2040m) and then we will look to whether we go to the Melbourne Cup or not.”
Sharp ‘N’ Smart is a $101 hope in futures markets with horse racing bookmakers for the Melbourne Cup.
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