Smiling Eyes

[Palliser]

If you didn't see the race today, have a look at the replay.

I have never seen an easier victory than what I witnessed at Wingatui today. Smiling Eyes win was so easy it was ridiculous, didn't even look like a track gallop pace. I she she is 6 now, excited to see what's in store.

[sunlineboy]

Heavy 10, so probably more winter wins in store. Franks the form of Hakkinen, though.

[PKR]

Had reasonable form up north on firmer tracks so you'd expect her to go through the grades this prep. Could be a star down south. 

On the dam's side the 1st, 2nd and 3rd were non-winners but 4th dam was a beauty. Canturberry Belle won her first four, including the '84 one Thousand Gns and went on to run 2nd in the Qns Gns and win the Elders Handicap at Flemington. If Smiling Eyes is half as good a good race awaits her.

 

[nomates]

4 minutes ago, PKR said:

Had reasonable form up north on firmer tracks so you'd expect her to go through the grades this prep. Could be a star down south. 

On the dam's side the 1st, 2nd and 3rd were non-winners but 4th dam was a beauty. Canturberry Belle won her first four, including the '84 one Thousand Gns and went on to run 2nd in the Qns Gns and win the Elders Handicap at Flemington. If Smiling Eyes is half as good a good race awaits her.

 

Also won a Stradbroke , a fantastic mare .

[Ned Kelly]

5 hours ago, Palliser said:

If you didn't see the race today, have a look at the replay.

I have never seen an easier victory than what I witnessed at Wingatui today. Smiling Eyes win was so easy it was ridiculous, didn't even look like a track gallop pace. I she she is 6 now, excited to see what's in store.

A terrific day for Robert, he’s been going great the last month or so 

[Zakhu]

Speaking of fantastic wins, how good was Hankee Alpha's AUS debut today, absolutely brained them first time down the straight and gave nothing else a look in. With a good trainer and might have a decent win in her. 

The wet ground did certainly aid her though. Great to see her ridden closer to the speed as well.

[Maximus]

Max is holding back his excitement ..1:49:80 for 1600m. Mebbe SE is a swimmer who swims better than most of em down there.
Lightly raced so room for improvement and is in good hands, will they be racing her on better ground or accepting the fact that she prefers sofy/Heavy?

[Pete Lane]

22 minutes ago, Maximus said:

Max is holding back his excitement ..1:49:80 for 1600m. Mebbe SE is a swimmer who swims better than most of em down there.
Lightly raced so room for improvement and is in good hands, will they be racing her on better ground or accepting the fact that she prefers sofy/Heavy?

Has North Island form on good footing 

[Palliser]

1 hour ago, Maximus said:

Max is holding back his excitement ..1:49:80 for 1600m. Mebbe SE is a swimmer who swims better than most of em down there.
Lightly raced so room for improvement and is in good hands, will they be racing her on better ground or accepting the fact that she prefers sofy/Heavy?

I think the time is irrelevant as she was hard held the whole way in a light canter, it was that easy.

[nomates]

Do we think the quality of opposition might have anything to do with it ????

[Maximus]

1 hour ago, Pete Lane said:

Has North Island form on good footing 

has not won any of her three on Firm ground...hence Max saying she 'prefers soft/heavy'

[Maximus]

55 minutes ago, Palliser said:

I think the time is irrelevant as she was hard held the whole way in a light canter, it was that easy.

yes, very easy...jock got away with murder there with those sectionals and no-one taking her on ..hence the reason for Maxi not getting too excited by such a facile victory. 

[Pete Lane]

15 minutes ago, Maximus said:

has not won any of her three on Firm ground...hence Max saying she 'prefers soft/heavy'

Splitting hairs here. 2 seconds and 2 thirds on Good 4 tracks.

'Max' can say what he likes.

[Maximus]

2 minutes ago, Pete Lane said:

Splitting hairs here. 2 seconds and 2 thirds on Good 4 tracks.

'Max' can say what he likes.

The hair-splitting is coming from you. I'm just looking at what the stats say...hasn't won on a firm track (yet)...she goes OK on Good ground, but hasn't won, and has won twice, placed once on Heavy, all three runs 1200-1600m this campaign. Sounds like a happy horse in a new environment with a preference for very wet ground. Doesnt sound like Phar Lap or Winx just yet, despite that recent, most facile victory.

Oh, and Max will say what he 'likes' or 'thinks', thankee... ...which is, SE prefers Heavy going is clearly an improved mare since changing hands/environment (like Santita), is racing against average quality opposition down south. It will be interesting to see what targets connections have in mind for her.

[Pete Lane]

2 minutes ago, Maximus said:

The hair-splitting is coming from you. I'm just looking at what the stats say...hasn't won on a firm track (yet)...she goes OK on Good ground, but hasn't won, and has won twice, placed once on Heavy, all three runs 1200-1600m this campaign. Sounds like a happy horse in a new environment with a preference for very wet ground. Doesnt sound like Phar Lap or Winx just yet, despite that recent, most facile victory.

Oh, and Max will say what he 'likes' or 'thinks', thankee... ...which is, SE prefers Heavy going is clearly an improved mare since changing hands/environment (like Santita), is racing against average quality opposition down south. It will be interesting to see what targets connections have in mind for her.

You're a legend Steve.

[Maximus]

Just now, Pete Lane said:

You're a legend Steve.

LOL. same ol same ol from you. Have a lovely Sunday.

[Pete Lane]

There's a pattern from you. Every time someone says that a horse looks something special you come on here and try to talk the horse down. Deny it all you like but it's true.

 

[nomates]

The one take out for me is yet again a horse not good enough for northern racing grows another leg in the SI .

Gives hope to all struggling northern horses .

[Maximus]

13 minutes ago, Pete Lane said:

There's a pattern from you. Every time someone says that a horse looks something special you come on here and try to talk the horse down. Deny it all you like but it's true.

 

Wasn't talkin' the horse down at all, simply refused to get over-excited by one hollow victory on a Heavy 10 down south off a slow and uncontested tempo..
If she keeps on doing it, that'd be fab for connections.
 

[Pete Lane]

Just now, nomates said:

The one take out for me is yet again a horse not good enough for northern racing grows another leg in the SI .

Gives hope to all struggling northern horses .

Yeah it's interesting. The obvious reason would be weaker class of racing but, then again, some horses benefit from a change of environment.

In the case of Santita my view is that it's just gone to a better trainer. Don't really rate the previous.

[Palliser]

1 hour ago, nomates said:

Do we think the quality of opposition might have anything to do with it ????

No doubt, all I'm saying is the jockey didn't move a muscle at any stage, was 3 and 4 wide doing a little wrong, probably because she was trying to go a bit faster.

Simply was the easiest win I've seen for quite some time.

[PKR]

I'd take sides with the yeh sayers. Yes, all three starts from her new stable have been on heavy ground and noticeably over shorter distances than when trained in the north. Clearly Robert Dennis has her well - and arguably the weaker opposition makes the form look better.  Perhaps he's found the key to her - shorter distances and rain affected ground. But on her runs up north you'd think she'd stretch out to a middle distance on better ground. 

Equally interesting though are the options. She travelled up to Riccarton a couple of starts back so we might expect to see her there over the Cup carnival. That will answer a few questions.  

[nomates]

2 minutes ago, Pete Lane said:

Yeah it's interesting. The obvious reason would be weaker class of racing but, then again, some horses benefit from a change of environment.

In the case of Santita my view is that it's just gone to a better trainer. Don't really rate the previous.

Happens too often for it to be simply change of environment , could have just sent it across the road .

What I do find really interesting is that it used to be that many of these horses would have been tried in a CD stable first but now they just get sent down south .

[Pete Lane]

8 minutes ago, nomates said:

Happens too often for it to be simply change of environment , could have just sent it across the road .

What I do find really interesting is that it used to be that many of these horses would have been tried in a CD stable first but now they just get sent down south .

Good points.

[Maximus]

29 minutes ago, PKR said:

I'd take sides with the yeh sayers. Yes, all three starts from her new stable have been on heavy ground and noticeably over shorter distances than when trained in the north. Clearly Robert Dennis has her well - and arguably the weaker opposition makes the form look better.  Perhaps he's found the key to her - shorter distances and rain affected ground. But on her runs up north you'd think she'd stretch out to a middle distance on better ground. 

Equally interesting though are the options. She travelled up to Riccarton a couple of starts back so we might expect to see her there over the Cup carnival. That will answer a few questions.  

exactly my point ..'it will be interesting to see' etc etc Don't think mid-distance races will be a problem for her, per se, but can she run fast enough on better Spring/Summer tracks against better quality opposition?
SE ran down the track (last of 10, winner Gillian) over 2200m at Ellerslie last April, having won her way out of maidens at Counties 2100m three weeks earlier; 4 subsequent winners from that race). Possibly copped an injury that day at Ellerslie, ran 5L last but Stewards Report said:
SMILING EYES (G Rooke) - Rider advised that the mare had been quickly beaten once placed under pressure prior to entering the final straight. Underwent a post-race veterinary examination which did not reveal any abnormality.

SE had 6 months off - and changed hands (?) - after that race. The Dennis team have got her firing, which is great.

Will be fun keeping an eye on Smiling Eyes in the next few weeks.
Max notes that she is by Time Test..and I think I read somewhere that Time Test has an extraordinary record as a sire of wet-trackers and/or jumpers.