What happened at Murray Bridge racetrack on Wednesday afternoon, pretty much is exactly what all owners want to experience.
It happened in race 2 and gave me chills.
The big syndicate which formed together to buy into an unraced filly named SMOKIN’ VAL (Valentia-Smokin’ Al) probably dreamed and wished, but never really expected her to win on debut.
And certainly not she did.
Watch 📺 👇
Whenever a racecaller, certainly one as experienced as Brett Davis, are taken aback by acceleration, especially on debut, you are entitled to get revved up, throw a party, buy a new car and kiss your partner – passionately!
“Have a look at this girl go. Wow! That was impressive,” said Davis. And he was sincerely stunned at the way Smokin’ Val just went bang once through a gap which she appeared, initially, not to want to run through.
Her win damn near broke the track record as well.
And this after coming out second last.
She clocked 57.30sec – on debut, after being slow to move and taking 100m before she got the courage to run through a gap. The track record is 57.13sec.
This was only an average maiden over 1000m but this is not an average racehorse.
Her last 200m was stunningly fast. And that’s a fact irrespective of opposition.
Jon O’Connor trains her at Morphettville while Karl Zechner steered her home 4 lengths clear of the field headed by the $1.65 fav Who Runs The World.
Her sire, Valentia (Fastnet Rock-Smart Company) was retired in 2016 from racing. He was a juvenile Gr 2 winner and was 12th in the Gr 1 Golden Slipper won by Mossfun in the mud.
