Sharp ’N’ Smart mapping out multi-million dollar campaign aimed at Melbourne Cup

Sharp ’N’ Smart earned $3 million as a three-year-old, a tally which should see him voted the country’s top galloper last season, but he has a smorgasbord of rich races ahead of him this year that could see him more than double that amount.

Already, with the horse two weeks away from trialling, and eight weeks from his first race, bookmakers have installed Sharp ’N’ Smart on the fifth line of betting for the A$5 million Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 21, the A$5 million W.S. Cox Plate (wfa 2040m) on October 28 and A$7.75 million Melbourne Cup (3200m) on November 7.

That’s a huge mark of respect for Sharp ’N’ Smart when over the last two decades New Zealand horses have struggled to even make the field for the Melbourne Cup, let alone win it.

It’s no coincidence that Victoria Racing Club representatives, on a seven country tour with the 2023 gold trophy, have just made a special visit to the Rogersons’ Tuhikaramea stables. The only Kiwi-trained winner of the cup in the last 20 years, Efficient, was trained by Graeme Rogerson.

“Sharp ’N’ Smart is as good a stayer as I’ve had, right up there with Efficient,” Rogerson said. “I think he’s world class and a genuine two-miler.”

One of the world’s best jockeys Hugh Bowman, who teamed with the champion mare Winx and is plying his trade in Hong Kong, is keen to reunite with Sharp ’N’ Smart after riding him in two of his five big wins last season.

“Hugh has first option to ride him if he can make the weight,” Rogerson said. “The handicapper has indicated he might get 54.5kg for the cups but I was hoping for closer to 53kg.”

Sharp ’N’ Smart, who has already qualified for the Melbourne Cup, will have his first two lead-up races in New Zealand, the weather to determine where he runs in the first of those on September 9.

Given a reasonable track, Sharp ’N’ Smart will contest the first leg of the Hastings triple crown, the $400,000 Tarzino Trophy, a weight-for-age event over 1400 metres, on September 9.

“If the track is wet we’ll go instead to Ruakaka the same day and I’ll put my grand-daughter Bailey on to claim 3kg. He’d get 64kg or 65kg in the race which is an open handicap over 1400 metres.”

Three weeks later the horse will run in the second leg of the Hastings Triple Crown, the $400,000 Arrowfield Stud Plate (wfa 1600m).

“We’ll go to Melbourne after that and he’ll run in either the Caulfield Cup or the Cox Plate, a week later, as a final lead-up.

Rogerson is excited at the prospect of seeing just how good Sharp ’N’ Smart will be this season given greenness cost him at least one Group I race as a three-year-old.

After earning huge credit for winning the A$2.2million Spring Champion Stakes, after a torrid wide run on a heavy track, he started favourite in the A$2.4 million VRC Derby and looked to have the race won only to throw it away by pulling up close to the post, going down by half a length.

Figuring Sharp ’N’ Smart didn’t see the other horse coming with full cup blinkers on, he switched them for visor blinkers at his next start.

Sharp ’N’ Smart’s only two defeats after that came on heavy tracks.

He was beaten three-quarters of a length in the Group I Thorndon Mile fresh-up at Trentham after being trapped four and three wide, a huge effort, according to Rogerson.

And a downpour on race morning wrecked the A$2.37 million Australian Derby for him when, from gate 17, Bowman reported it was like "driving a car with the wheels spinning".

Sharp ’N’ Smart still rallied bravely for a close fourth, a fighting attribute which Rogerson says will take him a long way this season.

“He’s no good in the wet but somehow he still manages to be competitive.”

Rogerson rated Sharp ’N’ Smart’s two other Group I wins, in the $450,000 Herbie Dyke Stakes and $1 million New Zealand Derby as enormous, elevating him to a level seldom seen in recent years here.

Only Dundeel (2013) and Bonecrusher (1986) won more Group One races, four in all, as three-year-olds.

With a season record of five wins, two seconds and a fourth from eight starts, Sharp ’N’ Smart’s earnings of $3,012,008 eclipsed those of the fine mare Imperatriz who raced only twice in Australia and banked $1,352,897, a crucial difference when it comes to Horse of the Year voting.

Sharp ’N’ Smart’s earning potential this year doesn’t end at the Melbourne spring carnival with Rogerson keen to take him to the rich International meeting in Hong Kong in December when the HK$25 million (NZ$5 million) Hong Kong Cup (2000m) and HK$20 million (NZ$4 million) Hong Kong Vase (2400m) are run.

“I think he’s the best horse in New Zealand - he can run sectionals like no other. And he’s looking massive.”