Mayfield-Smith Retired But Not Forgotten
- Monday, 03 May 2010 21:52
He wasn't anywhere he could celebrate, but Brian Mayfield-Smith had one of his biggest thrills in racing when Fairy Oak won the Group 3 Auraria Stakes at Morphettville on Sunday.
Mayfield-Smith picked out the daughter of High Chaparral at the 2008 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale and bought her for long time client John McLean for $140,000.
"She was out of a Sir Stristram mare and she had a beautiful action", Mayfield-Smith said of what attracted him to Fairy Oak.
The filly only had one start for Mayfield-Smith, where she ran a nice third on debut on a rain affected track at Kyneton last June as a late two year old.
When he retired from training late last year, Fairy Oak and two other horses that Mayfield-Smith was training for McLean were transferred to Peter Moody. As a parting gesture, McLean who had won 36 races with horses trained by Mayfield-Smith, gave him a share in Fairy Oak.
So when she graduated to stakes class at only her fourth start in a race, Mayfield-Smith was understandably elated.
"I don't usually show much emotion when I have a win", the stoic Mayfield-Smith admitted.
"But I was in the car, miles from anywhere, so I got a bit excited."
Mayfield-Smith was returning from Deniliquin where he had been competing in a cutting competition, a hobby to which he has turned full attention since giving up training racehorses.
His good day at Morphettville did not end with Fairy Oak's win as later in the day, Velocitea, another New Zealand bred horse originally trained by Mayfield-Smith won the Group 1 Goodwood Handicap.
This win was special for Mayfield-Smith because Velocitea's owner, Rob Ferguson, was one of his most staunch owners not only when he was a leading trainer in Sydney, but also when he resumed training in Melbourne after returning from wildlife conservation efforts in Africa.
"I've known Rob for 20 years", Mayfield-Smith recalled.
"When I gave up training in Sydney he treated me to great meal at an up-market Sydney restaurant and then when I came back to Melbourne, he was the first owner to give me a horse."
"It was always going to be hard to get started again in a new city, so I was very pleased when Rob gave me an imported mare, Tumi to train", he said.
"I'm thrilled for Rob that he's got a Group 1 win with the mare."
The win of Velocitea, now trained by Mick Price, was also gratifying to Mayfield-Smith because she is by one of his favourite sires, Volksraad.
"He is one of the most under rated sires", he said of the sire of Orange County, Pretorious, St Elmo's Fire and Lord Volksraad.
