No Warwick Farm-based trainer has won the Guy Walter Stakes since the race was named in honour of the late horseman and Matt Smith would dearly love to be the first.
A gifted trainer, Walter had a procession line of top horses including champion Tie The Knot, Streama and Defier but his kindness and generosity towards others have been his biggest legacy.
Smith will saddle up Tricky Gal in Saturday’s renewal of the fillies and mares’ feature and says a victory in honour of his friend and mentor, who died suddenly almost seven years ago, would be a moment to treasure.
“It would be bloody outstanding to win it,” Smith said.
“Guy was a superstar. He mentored a lot of the trainers here. There wouldn’t be many trainers who didn’t run something by him at some stage and he always had plenty of time for everybody.”
Tricky Gal is a $5 chance to deliver the Warwick Farm-based Smith a poignant win.
Immature as a younger horse, Tricky Gal didn’t race until the end of her three-year-old season but she has improved with each preparation.
She graduated to black-type company in the spring, finishing runner-up to Savatiano in the Group Two Hot Danish Stakes and again to Missile Mantra in the Summoned Stakes at Sandown.
Tricky Gal began her latest campaign as she finished her last, closing hard for second to Tailleur in the Triscay Stakes after getting back from a wide draw.
“She is a really good mare, she’s tough, she loves racing. It’s exciting,” Smith said.
“The only thing that beat her last start was the barrier. She could have won that race if she had a good gate.
“Let’s hope we can get that stakes race on the board.”
Walter won the equivalent of Saturday’s race twice when it was known as the Wiggle Quality, firstly with Danni Martine in 2005 and again with Bhandara a year later.
