Schmitt Happy After First City Win
- Wednesday, 23 June 2010 02:02
A late pick up ride for Michael Rodd proved fortuitous with Happy Angel scoring in the $30,000 Essendon Jeep & Essendon Hyundai at Auto Centro Handicap (1000m) today at the Valley.
Happy Angel ($4.40,$6.50) led from almost barrier to box for Rodd and despite scoring by just a short neck over Frustrating ($11,$12) never looked in danger beating the third horse Baltic Spirit ($4.80,$6) home by almost tow lengths.
The win was a welcome tonic for trainer Dale Schmitt who has experienced poor health of late, attributing the win to the help of friends and family.
I've been pretty crook the last few months and have had plenty of help from my next door neighbour, Daniel and my wife
In fact the last two times the horse has won I have been in hospital
The three-year-old filly's win also brought about Schmitt's first metropolitan winner after almost thirty years of training something he admitted hasn't been easy.
"I haven't ever had a lot of horses on the go, but there has been a number of young horses who I have bought through thinking they were good enough and when we take the step they just haven't measured up," said Schmitt.
"This win today was a great win, she is as tough as she is big.
"She has had a few tough runs this prep but goes home and licks her bin clean and keeps coming up, so we keep going forward with her," he added.
Rodd had barely unpacked his gear before getting the ride on Happy Angel and was full of confidence after speaking with Schmitt.
"I only picked the ride up about twenty minutes before the race," said Rodd.
"I spoke to Dale before the race and he just said 'she won't get beat', so he couldn't have been any clearer."
Rodd observed that he had planned to take the sit on the daughter of Happy Giggle but started too well to give away his position.
"She just began so well so I couldn't really hand up the lead on a day like today with the rail out so far," he said.
"I gave her a little flick down the shoulder on turning and she was never going to get beaten."
Happy Angel has now won the three times from just ten starts for almost $60,000 in prizemoney.
Photo by Colin Bull
