Crack three-year-old Sharp ‘N’ Smart (Redwood [IRE] - Queen Margaret) is certainly living up to his name.
Following his impressive win against the older horses in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes he is now a Group One winner on both sides of the Tasman, with earnings in excess of $2million.
The son of Redwood has now had 10 starts for five wins. As a two-year-old he ran second on debut before taking out the Listed ATR Champagne Stakes over a mile in April. He ventured to Queensland in June and ran second in the Gr.3 BRC Phoenix Stakes before running fourth in the Gr.1 BRC J J Atkins Stakes.
In the spring he won fresh up over 1400m at Ruakaka before heading to Sydney where he won the Gr.3 ATC Gloaming Stakes over 1600m. 10 days later he beat a quality field of three-year-olds in the Gr.1 ATC Spring Champion Stakes. The following week he ran within half a length of winning the Gr.1 VRC Derby behind Manzoice.
Sharp ‘N’ Smart then returned to New Zealand for a spell and resumed in late January in the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile and fought well for a brave second to He’s A Doozy. His next run was in the Herbie Dyke where, with a late run, he put paid to a top field of older horses - all of whom were stakes winners.
Sharp ‘N’ Smart was bred at Westbury Stud by Gerry Harvey, who through his New Zealand Thoroughbred Holdings Limited banner has retained a racing share in the horse.
“He continues to excite and amaze us with his ability to outdo himself,” Russell Warwick, General Manager of Westbury Stud, said.
“He has an interesting pedigree, our matings are all done with some thought. In this case Swiss Ace’s female line and Redwood’s female line have a lot of similarity. He has inherited the speed of Swiss Ace in his turn of foot and the stamina of Redwood.
“We take a good look at pedigrees and the physicality of the horses as well and do our matings from there. In 13 years, we have produced 13 Group One winners so we must be doing something right.
“If I was to say that one sire has had an influence on his pedigree it would have to be Northern Dancer. He features very prominently in his pedigree. He features in the bottom line of both the female line of Swiss Ace and Redwood and of course Redwood is by High Chaparral who has Northern Dancer as his grandsire.
“We bred Queen Margaret, she is out of an older Danehill mare, Danish Seaway, that came over soon after Gerry became involved with the farm. Danish Seaway left a good stakes winner in Queensland called Absalon. And we knew that Swiss Ace being a Mr Prospector line horse worked well with Danehill.
“Unfortunately, she only raced once and returned here as broodmare. She only had the two foals before she died.”
Danish Seaway was a winner over 1800m in Australia, and besides Absalon, she left three other winners. She in turn is a sister to Ernesto who won six races including a Listed race in Hong Kong, and a half-sister to Angling, the winner of the Listed AJC Dulcify Handicap. Their dam Brise de Mer (USA) won a race in France and also left one other minor winner.
Her dam was the stakes winning Green Dancer (USA) mare Dance Machine (GB) who won the Listed Newmarket Sweet Solara Stakes, and she is the dam of Group One winners and subsequent stallions Hailing (GB) and Grazia (GB). Hailing, by Diesis (FR), was the winner of 12 races in Great Britain, France and the United Arab Emirates including five at Group One level.
“Swiss Ace is starting to make a name for himself as a broodmare sire,” Warwick said of the Secret Savings (USA) stallion who is now the dam sire of five stakes winners. He is also the sire of 15 stakes winners.
“Whenever we buy a stallion, we factor into the equation will he suit the mares we have already and the mares coming on by the stallions we have?
“We are now seeing those results come to fruition, and Redwood is really coming into his own now which isn’t surprising given his horses nearly all take time, but he will also make a good broodmare sire.
“Sharp ‘N’ Smart wasn’t an expensive horse to breed and he was only a $55,000 yearling which isn’t expensive, yet he has won nearly $2m in Australia. He will now head to the Derby in three weeks, followed by the Australian Derby three weeks after that.”
Harvey has also retained Sharp ‘N’ Smart’s younger full sister and she is currently being pre-trained. -Michelle Saba, NZTBA
