By Matt Markham
A simple nod towards Smolda’s head was all it took for Tim Williams to hammer home his point after yesterday’s Methven Cup.
Walking back to the stables after the big gelding’s victory in the $35,000 Methven Cup yesterday afternoon Williams pointed toward his charges head, and in particular his ear plugs, which were still firmly in place.
“I didn’t pull them. I didn’t feel like I had too,” Williams said.
It looked that easy too.
Smolda overcame a midrace move to sit up outside Mossdale Conner before working to the lead at the 1000 metre mark and then suffering an extended period of attack around the final bend from Quick As A Trick before he had the audacity to run away from those chasing him at the top of the straight to win by a comfortable one and a half lengths.
“He was very good today, you can just feel him getting better and better every time he goes to the race,” Williams said.
“When I got up to parked at the winning post with a lap to run he got quite keen and wanted to get going.
“That’s why we pressed on to find the top, he was just travelling that well.
“Then when Quick As A Trick came up to us he got all lazy and I had to chase him along to wake him up.”
Seel The Deal, fresh from a minor wind operation, was best of those behind the might of Smolda – emerging from three back the fence on the home bend to unwind stylishly while Titan Banner was a brave third.
The talk of the race though was the run of the C2 pacer, Johnny Eyre, who despite being three grades below the next horse in the race, produced a bobby dazzler to run fourth – and be slightly unlucky in the process.
Sunday’s win should see Smolda shorten for the New Zealand Trotting Cup – an occasion that Smolda’s owners, Phil & Glenys Kennard, Neil Pilcher and Marcus Kirkwood can’t wait to get back to.
“Running second last year after missing away and all that was a little hard to swallow,” Phil Kennard said.
“But we just love Cup Day so much and can’t wait to have a couple of chances in the Cup.”
Half an hour earlier Mike Austin and Blair Orange combined to cause one of the big upsets of the day when Twelve Monkeys gave some of New Zealand’s best trotting mares a bit of a hiding in the fillies and mares’ trotting event.
The daughter of Monkey Bones emerged late from the pack and unwound brilliantly to win by three and three quarter lengths.
Stephen Kennedy also had plenty of reasons to smile when he produced his first training win courtesy of Quest Star’s win in the maiden trot.
Driven by Gerard O’Reilly the Monarchy six-year-old emerged from the pack late in the piece to run down Rusty I Am in the shadows of the post.
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