Glen Boss has ridden his fair share of outstanding three-year-olds during his career and believes Smart Missile can join them after partnering the unbeaten colt to an easy trial win on Friday.
So impressed is Boss in the Anthony Cummings-trained colt, he will be in Sydney to ride him first-up in the Group Three Run To The Rose (1200m) on August 27, forgoing the first-up ride on AJC Derby winner Shamrocker in Melbourne on the same day.
“You won’t be getting me off him,” Boss said after Smart Missile cruised to a 1-1/2-length win over 740m in Friday’s trial at Randwick.
“Good colts like this only come along every now and then.
“I’ll only miss the Memsie meeting then after that there shouldn’t be any other clashes in the schedule with him and Shamrocker.”
Smart Missile, who was dramatically scratched at the barrier in the $3.5 million Golden Slipper in April, showed in his trial that he was right on track to be a force in the spring with the Group One Golden Rose (1400m) on September 10 his first main mission.
The Breeders Plate and Todman Stakes winner is the likely Golden Rose favourite with Golden Slipper hero Sepoy, who currently heads the market, an unlikely runner.
Boss can’t see why Smart Missile won’t excel.
“At this stage he’s as promising a young three-year-old as I think I’ve been on for a long, long time,” he said.
“There’s a long way to go and you don’t want to go off too soon but you won’t be getting me off his back, that’s for sure.”
Smart Missile sat midfield in his heat but towed Boss to the front in the straight in his first public appearance since his Golden Slipper scratching.
“He was not out there to do anything special, I hardly moved on him and he just towed me along,” Boss said.
“He does it with ridiculous ease. I’m surprised how quickly he goes considering how easily he does it.”
Cummings gave an approving nod after watching Smart Missile’s hitout and said the son of Fastnet Rock probably wouldn’t need another trial now before his return.
“I’m pretty happy with that, he’s on track to do what we want,” Cummings said.
AAP TURF
