Vosne Romanee Wins Kelt Capital Stakes
- Saturday, 03 October 2009 08:30
Ian Smart had an image implanted his mind as a child that he planned to live out after Vosne Romanee's upset win in the $NZ1.2 million Kelt Capital Stakes.
Smart is a grandson of Rachael McDonald, who owned 1955 Melbourne Cup winner Toparoa, and he has long remembered one particular line McDonald trotted out in recounting the Cup win.
"I was only about 12 when she died but I never forgot how they celebrated the win," Smart said.
"She said they had the key to Melbourne and they danced on the tables through the night. That was an image that always stuck with me."
Smart said after winning New Zealand's richest weight-for-age race on Saturday it would be no different for him and his wife Alana, who shares in the ownership of Vosne Romanee.
"Well, we have just won the Kelt. We'll be dancing on the tables tonight," he said.
The Smarts own a vineyard in Martinborough but when it comes owning horses they are relative newcomers who have dabbled at the bottom end of the market.
"I am just a little guy with bugger all money but love racing," he said.
"This one is for the little guys."
Vosne Romanee was bred by the Smarts and is the first horse they have raced on their own.
They bought Vosne Romanee's dam, Madison Avenue, for $10,000 following advice from a friend and then purchased a share in former Manawatu stallion Electronic Zone.
"They were selling the farm up and my mate said do you want this mare?" Smart said.
"I was always going to get involved with racing but we had to keep the cost down. We bought a share in Electronic Zone so we could breed from the mare (Madison Avenue) and Vosne Romanee is the result."
Vosne Romanee had no luck in the first two races of the Hawke's Bay spring Group One treble and was at more than 50-1 in the Kelt although his win did not surprise trainer Jeff Lynds.
"Things have just gone wrong for the horse. He just needed a good draw, a good track and everything came right today," Lynds said.
"You get a horse, you put a lot of work into it and things go like this. We had faith in the horse with the team at home."
Vosne Romanee was ridden by Buddy Lammas, who completed his apprenticeship only two days ago.
He had Vosne Romanee tracking the favourite, Daffodil, for much of the 2040m race, angled a little wider at the top of the straight and finished best to score by three-quarters of a length.
Second was Ginga Dude, who was caught three wide most of the way while a long neck away third was Melbourne visitor Miss Maren. The latter raced midfield and finished well along the inside.
Daffodil was half a neck back fourth after racing three back on the outer while Sir Slick was fifth and Sterling Prince sixth.
Second favourite Sarrera was 10th with jockey Craig Grylls suggesting the dead track may have been a little too firm for the horse.
