Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Having run down the field to take the honours in Saturday’s feature race at Randwick, Sharp ‘N’ Smart (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) is halfway to writing his name into the history books.
It’s a feat achieved by just four horses, and this year it’s been made all that harder as, for the first time, there will be just a seven-day gap between the elite events. Rogerson, who trains in partnership with his wife Debbie, knows all too well what the task involved and what sort of horse might achieve it; even the mighty Savabeel failed for him back in 2004, though granted he was unlucky in running - and did win a G1 Cox Plate in between.
Graeme Rogerson and Mark Chittick | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
It’s a plan that’s long been in the making according to Rogerson, who is no less confident about achieving it, despite the minimal margin that separated his horse from Elliptical (Dundeel {NZ}) at the line last weekend.
“It’s been our intention for the last six months, we were always going to,” he told TDN AusNZ.
“He’s a really good horse, Hughie was really confident. I think he’s a bit better on dry ground, but on any track he doesn’t do any more than he has to, and he seems to only just do enough.
“He’s (Sharp 'N' Smart) a really good horse, Hughie (Bowman) was really confident. I think he’s a bit better on dry ground, but on any track he doesn’t do any more than he has to, and he seems to only just do enough.” - Graeme Rogerson
“He certainly has the makings of a very good horse.”
It’s not just his trainer that’s given a strong vote of confidence in the horse, so too did jockey Hugh Bowman. Having ridden him in all his Australian starts, Bowman had a choice to make heading into Saturday’s feature. Electing to stay in Sydney over heading to Melbourne for the G1 Cox Plate, Bowman will naturally be delighted with his choice after claiming the $2 million feature.
However, it will now be an all-Kiwi assault this Saturday as James McDonald was on Sunday booked to ride Sharp ‘N’ Smart at Flemington, another chapter of an association which extends to more than one generation of the Champion Jockey’s family.
Hugh Bowman and Michael Crismale | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“I left it up to Luke McDonald, Gerry Harvey’s racing manager,” revealed Rogerson. “Hughie is riding in Sydney next week, so I left it to Luke.
“I gave him his first Group 1 winner, Scarlett Lady… James rode a lot of winners for me when he was younger. I won the big hurdle race in Baden-Baden many years ago and his dad rode it for me.”
Despite the support of Australia's best jockey, the timing of the races makes a huge challenge more difficult still. However, Rogerson draws confidence from Sharp ‘N’ Smart’s juvenile campaign, which twice saw him back up races in close succession.
Just 10 days after his debut, second at Ruakaka back in April this year, he claimed the Listed Champagne S. at Pukekohe. Transferred then to Queensland for his first Australian stint in June, Sharp ‘N’ Smart just lost out to Political Debate (So You Think {NZ}) in the Listed The Phoenix S. before seven days later running a gallant fourth in the G1 JJ Atkins S.
Returning this season with a first-up win back in New Zealand, Sharp ‘N’ Smart was then brought over to be based at Randwick. In his first assignment back on Australian soil as a 3-year-old, he fought back bravely in the G3 Gloaming S. at Warwick Farm to edge out Matcha Latte (Maurice {Jpn}) in a head-bobbing finish. Visually, the margin involved in that performance belied the impression left on Bowman, who was quick to declare that the horse had a very bright future.
Watch: Sharp 'N' Smart (NZ) winning the 2022 G3 Gloaming S.
“I don’t think he’ll be a horse that’ll ever win by five or six lengths, he’s not that sort of horse,” said Rogerson. “When you saw him in the Gloaming, that’s why I put visors on him - just to make him concentrate but so he could see the other horses as well.”
A mountain to climb
After Saturday’s win, Sharp ‘N’ Smart sits second in the betting for this weekend’s Derby, a $4 chance just behind another Kiwi raider, the Andrew Forsman-trained Mr Maestro (NZ) (Savabeel), who leads the market at $3.50. He also looks likely to line up against Berkeley Square (Territories {Ire}), who will be facing the same seven-day turnaround, having taken Saturday’s G2 Moonee Valley Vase.
“It’s a very good race. He raced against the favourite once in the Champagne Stakes as a 2-year-old, and he beat him in that. As long as everything goes right, and he travels well he’ll certainly be very competitive.”
“It’s a very good race (Victoria Derby). He (Sharp 'N' Smart) raced against the favourite once in the Champagne Stakes as a 2-year-old, and he beat him in that. As long as everything goes right, and he travels well he’ll certainly be very competitive.” - Graeme Rogerson
Whether he achieves his remarkable aim this weekend or not, Rogerson has got high hopes beyond for Sharp ‘N’ Smart, who he thinks will continue to improve as an older horse.
“He’ll go back to New Zealand next Wednesday, then he’ll have a month off then kick off at the end of January. He’ll probably have a race over 1400 (metres) then he’ll run in the Herbie Dyke (2000 metres), the Group 1 race, against the older horses.”
Whilst there’s no firm plan beyond that race, Rogerson has his eyes on an assortment of top prizes on both sides of the Tasman, including the G1 New Zealand Derby, the G1 AJC Derby and the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. Whichever route they go down, the trainer is confident that he’ll show improvement with time.
Sharp 'N' Smart (NZ) fending off Matcha Latte | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“Hopefully, next time in you’ll see a much stronger horse. He’s always shown glimpses that he can really gallop, but even when I trialled him against the Group 1 sprinters in New Zealand when I was getting him ready he ran third.
“It’ll be very interesting with this horse, I just think next year he could be a Caulfield/Melbourne Cup horse. I think he’s got the makings of a very good horse.
“He reminds me of a horse I had a while ago called What A Nuisance, he’s that sort of horse, and he won a Melbourne Cup. He could be an exciting horse if everything goes right.”
Putting a team together
Sharp ‘N’ Smart is the first live foal of the once-raced Swiss Ace mare Queen Margaret (NZ), who is the half-sister to a stakes winner in Absalon (Mossman). He was purchased by his trainers for NZ$55,000 at Book 2 of the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale.
Sharp 'N' Smart (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
He was bred by Gerry Harvey who remains in the ownership group, however, he was at one point heading down a different route entirely.
“I just liked him on type, and I thought he was a big, staying horse. Gerry and I go halves in a lot of horses,” explained Rogerson.
“I had him going and then I put him in the Ready to Run Sale and then I thought: ‘Why would I sell him?’ Ryan Elliot, my jockey, said to me, ‘You’d be mad to sell him. This is a really good horse.’
“So, I put together a partnership. Gerry got a quarter, I got a quarter and I put a few of my mates in him. So, we’ve turned a hundred grand into a million-and-a-half - so we’re doing alright!”
“So, I put together a partnership. Gerry (Harvey) got a quarter, I got a quarter and I put a few of my mates in him (Sharp 'N' Smart). So, we’ve turned a hundred grand into a million-and-a-half - so we’re doing alright!” - Graeme Rogerson
With the team assembled and ready to have some fun, it wasn’t long before others began to notice him as a smart, late-season juvenile too.
“When he was in Queensland we had some huge offers for him, as much as I’ve ever been offered for a horse. Anyway, they voted to keep him. I went along with it and hopefully, we can win $2.5 million and then we’ve got the horse and the money.”
More raids in the planning
Rogerson’s latest success in his travels to Sydney has coincided with the ever-increasing prizemoney levels on offer not just in New South Wales but across Australia. It’s not a fact that’s lost on the trainer, who is now planning more excursions with a bigger team.
“Probably in the autumn I’m going to bring a team of five over. We’ve been all around the world, it’s just that the Coronavirus and things put a stop to it.
“It’s just unbelievable what Peter V’Landys has done (for prizemoney). I spoke to him yesterday (Saturday), and they’re building a set of stables for the visitors.”
Whilst he noted that the new facilities are sure to make things easier as he plots a broader raid on Australia, Rogerson admitted that there’s no getting away from the financial aspect in making the decision to travel.
“We’ll start planning and looking to run in the big races… In general, the racing in Australia is certainly great. The prizemoney is good, so we’d better have a lick of it!”
“We’ll start planning and looking to run in the big races… In general, the racing in Australia is certainly great. The prizemoney is good, so we’d better have a lick of it!” - Graeme Rogerson
With that in mind, Rogerson has an even more ambitious plan in mind. Having trained a plethora of stars throughout his career, he’s certainly not lost an inch of ambition and competitiveness, and his latest target is the world’s richest race on turf.
“I’m on the lookout for a horse somewhere around the world that I can get a hold of, as I’d love to have a runner in The Everest. If I can find the right horse, or if I’m lucky enough to have one, as I’ve got some nice horses (already).
“We had a horse last year that I thought was a very good sprinter but he just went amiss, so we gave him 12 months off.
“Just look at the prizemoney for that Everest, but it’s also the challenge.”
Whilst more recently Kiwi raiders are feared in their assaults on Australia’s premier staying features, Rogerson remembers a time when they were more often as competitive at shorter distances too.
“We won a lot of those big sprints in Sydney many moons ago. I just think it’s a challenge, it’s a wonderful race.”
