Lessons learned on the golf course helped Hugh Bowman back his judgement aboard Sharp ‘N’ Smart at Randwick, and while it didn’t land him a hole in one, it did win him a Spring Champion Stakes.
Bowman found himself three-wide aboard the New Zealand raider but using the strong wind to advantage, he was happy to stalk the frontrunners and have faith his horse was good enough to get the job done.
“I was prepared to put my head on the chopping block to ride him where I wanted to ride him and if it didn’t come off, I would have been to blame,” Bowman said.
“I did have confidence in him. I didn’t think I could spot those horses many lengths and run them down and I think that was proven. The reason I was able to win was because I was camped on their back throughout.
“Being an avid golfer, I know how much the wind assists and the wind hurts and the wind was on our backside until the 1000 then I was covered up from it until the home corner.
“It did work out well on this occasion, it’s not always the case, but without a supreme athlete I wouldn’t have been able to do it.”
Not only did the victory deliver Bowman a feature race double after he earlier claimed the Callander-Presnell on Golden Mile, it also gave Graeme Rogerson his 53rd Group 1 win and his first at Randwick training alongside his wife Debbie.
Graeme Rogerson confirmed Sharp ‘N’ Smart would now head to Melbourne and back-up in next Saturday’s Victoria Derby, a race the trainer won in 2006 with Efficient.
“I haven’t had a horse like him for a long time,” Rogerson said of Sharp ‘N’ Smart.
“I’m going to run him in the Derby, he’ll go a mile-and-a-half (2400m) no worries and he’s better on the good track than in the wet.”
Bowman won’t be able to ride Sharp ‘N’ Smart in the Derby due to commitments at the Golden Eagle meeting in Sydney but was thrilled to share in a major with the Rogersons on Saturday.
“My first ride at Randwick was in these colours many moons ago so it means a lot to win for Graeme and Debbie,” Bowman said.
Sharp ‘N’ Smart ($7) arrived just in time to nail Elliptical ($5) by a nose with She’s Extreme ($4.20 fav) flashing home for third, another half-length away.
Elliptical was also narrowly beaten in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas and co-trainer Sam Freedman said while it was frustrating, the horse was still learning and was gallant in defeat.
“He burst clear but I think it was inexperience, he just doesn’t’ know how to put them away,” Freedman said.
