Smart an understatement for Wexford mare
Jess de Lautour • November 9th, 2025 10:47 AM • 3 min read
Untapped four-year-old Smart Love continued her stunning rise through the grades with a dominant display in the opener at Pukekohe Park on Saturday.
The daughter of Savabeel had been unbeaten in her last three starts, one of those coming at the end of a brief three-year-old campaign and the latter pair this preparation.
Smart Love earned red-hot $1.40 favouritism in the Majestic Horse Floats 1300 and justified that price, aided by a perfect steer from regular rider Masa Hashizume. She jumped positively from the inside draw but had no intention of leading, allowing Central Districts visitor Vibration to cross over and set a strong tempo.
Smart Love was full of running when she came away from the rail turning for home, drawing level with Vibration under a hold and cruising clear at the 200m, putting a good margin on her rivals to win with ears pricked from second-elect First Dance.
There was no hiding Hashizume’s excitement post-race, indicating that he and trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott had high hopes for the mare last term.
“She’s top class this mare,” he said.
“Lance told me to have no plan, just jump and decide. She jumped well, I thought Marshy’s horse (Miss Rockette) would go forward more but she was coming back a bit and there was a strong pace. I could pop off and she’s a strong mare, I can make any gap. She was just travelling too well.
“It was unfortunate last season, we thought she could get to the Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m) and those good three-year-old races, but I think the break has done her well.
“At three, we thought she was going to be a 2000m-plus horse, but now she’s big and strong, she can run a good race at 1300-1400m.”
Scott echoed those sentiments and is excited for what’s the come for the mare over a big summer of racing.
“It was good to see a nice bit of speed in the race, they got a good gallop going and it helped her find her rhythm,” he said. “She managed to peel away from the fence turning in and utilise the beautiful long straight here at Pukekohe and gallop to the line strong.
“There are a lot of options for her, it would be nice to chime into a handicap somewhere and come in the bottom half (of the weights), then we can work towards something bigger and brighter through the later part of the summer.
“She’ll dictate her form and the way she’s winning at the moment, hopefully she can get to a good race.”
Bred by Waikato Stud and owned by Chittick Investments, Smart Love earned her fourth win in just six starts in the race, with two runner-up finishes in the other two attempts earning just over $90,000.
The Waikato Stud silks were to the fore again later in the card aboard blue-blooded four-year-old Magice.
Having his first start in 17 months, which was further delayed when he was late-scratched at the gates last month at Te Aroha, Magice made up for lost time with an eye-catching last-to-first victory under Ryan Elliot.
Trained by Kris Shailer, Magice is a full-brother to Group One winner Noverre, a son of Savabeel now in his fourth season standing at Waikato Stud. – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
