Stakes' Win for Sassy 'N' Smart - Win No.3

Te Akau Racing's Riccarton roll was full steam ahead when Sassy 'N' Smart became at stakes' winner at just her second start - Te Akau's third win of the day ... and three winning females all purchased by David Ellis - Vive La Difference, Flaming and Sassy ... who became Te Akau's FIFTH winner of the Listed Welcome Stakes ...

Nervous moments always seem accentuated surrounding horses at prohibitive odds but there was a sense that little would stand in the way of Sassy ‘N' Smart (2 f Smart Missile - Panorama Ridge, by Empire Maker) winning the $50,000 Barneswood Farm Agistment Welcome Stakes (Listed, 1000m) on NZ Cup Day at Riccarton.

Impressive on debut when winning the $17,500 NZB Ready to Run Sale over 800 metres three weeks ago at Riccarton, the imposing filly confronted only five rivals and the $1.60 in some respects looked generous.

The win was heralded the day before in the Christchurch Press, when not only did the three tipsters: David McCarthy, Jim Langan and Gareth Murfitt put Sassy ‘N' Smart on top to win the race but they all made her their ‘best bet' of the day.

“She stepped out a lot better to settle fourth, although she was not really travelling until I clicked her up over the crossing and I just sat for as long as I could,” said jockey Matt Cameron.

“I didn't want to hit the front too soon because she's still quite green, but she's got class there and she was doing it pretty easily in the end.

“While she's not really a natural two-year-old, she's just a lot better than the rest of them and she's going to be a nice three-year-old with a bit of time. I was really, really happy with her and she felt great on the track too,” said Cameron.

Following in the footsteps of previous Welcome Stakes winners for Te Akau: Encosta Diablo (Encosta De Lago), Bespoke (Pins), Xbert (Bertolini) and Maroofity (Maroof), Sassy ‘N' Smart ran the 1000 metres in 57.4 and last 600 in 33.5

The filly was purchased by David Ellis for $150,000 at the Inglis Sydney Easter Sale from the draft of Arrowfield Stud, and is owned by the Te Akau Sassy ‘N' Smart Syndicate (managed by David Ellis). Notable too, amongst the owners, Aussie & Leslie Browne were recording their 86^th win - many of those with Te Akau.

Arrowfield Stud bloodstock manager John Freyer gives an interesting insight into the filly, below:

“Panorama Ridge was a mare I bought in America at the Keeneland Sales, from Juddmonte Farm. She's a magnificent looking Empire Make mare. Her dam Nebraska Tornado was a really high-class race mare in France, by Storm Cat. She won the French Oaks, or the equivalent of the French Oaks, the Prix de Diane (Gr. 1, 2100m) and she also won the Prix du Moulin (Gr. 1, 1600m) against the older horses. She comes from one of the best Juddmonte families and she's a half-sister to a couple of group winners - it's a really nice family.

“I think she (Nebraska Tornado) is in foal to Frankel.

“While Panorama Ridge was only placed, she had a lot of ability and was lightly raced after breaking down while racing at Santa Anita. It was a very strong maiden field, in which she was narrowly beaten and the winner went on two starts later to win the Oaks. So she was a filly they had a very good opinion of, but they had a lot of the family and that's why they let her go at the sales.

“She (Panorama Ridge) is a mare we like a lot. The three-year-old out of the mare was a $440,000 yearling by Redoute's Choice. He's with John Hawkes and he hasn't got to the races yet but they like him. She's got a Redoute's Choice colt that's going to the sale this year, and she had a Snitzel colt foal the other day. She has been given every opportunity but internally we rate her particularly highly. She now has a positive scan this morning (Friday) to Snitzel.

“To be perfectly honest we were a bit shell shocked that it ($150,000) was all she brought at the sales. I wouldn't have been surprised when we went to the sales that she would make half a million. We thought she was an absolute beauty. I've spoken to David (Ellis) a few times afterwards and I've said I can't believe that's all she made. But it happens occasionally and it can happen occasionally at the Easter Sale, where horses can fall between the cracks for whatever reason. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her; we thought she was a bit of a star and David must have as well.

“The one thing Empire Maker does impart into the pedigree is a bit of stamina and the fact that she's so brilliant, given the way she won the other day [over 800m] she's certainly got the speed, but with that stamina element I couldn't believe she wouldn't get out over 1600 metres and more.

“A filly with her pedigree, a stakes' win at this stage of her career she would appeal to nearly any breeding farm in the world who would love to get their hands on a stakes' winner from that family.

Sassy ‘N' Smart is now a stakes' winner at just her second start.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz