Smith scores instant stakes success

Harness racing trainer-driver Gavin Smith backed his judgement and it paid off when My Ultimate Chevron (NZ) (Sweet Lou) sprinted to victory in the $23,000 Group Three Sapling Stakes (1609m) on Saturday. 

Smith’s ability to assess a horse was on full show when NZB Standardbred graduate took inside runs to charge through to win the Ashburton feature.

Smith has had faith in My Ultimate Chevron from the time he was a yearling, securing him in partnership with Tumby Park owners Scott Whitton and Jodie Foster for $27,500 from NZB Standardbred’s 2020 National Yearling Sale in Christchurch.

Prepared by Lisa Daly, the colt from Bettor’s Delight mare Bet I Can (NZ) was not on the buying list that the trainer-driver and Tumby Park owners Scott Whitton and Jodie Foster had agreed on.

But Smith backed his eye for the horse resulting in Whitton and Foster enjoying stakes race success little more than a year later.

“When I went to the sales he wasn’t actually on Scott’s [buying] list, he is a student of form and breeding,” Smith said.

“This one was one that I really liked and sort of pushed him into a bit.”

Smith was modest about his of weaving My Ultimate Chevron through runners like a seasoned professional to win Saturday’s feature in just his first start.

Though he clearly had the horse ready for such a feat, he deflected all praise onto his two-year-old.

“He is a just a natural wee horse, he has always been well balanced and good gaited and zippy,” Smith said.

“We just needed to see if he could do it when we went a bit quicker, which he stepped up today and did.”

My Ultimate Chevron was not among the original nominations for the Sapling Stakes.

But, Smith again backed his judgement.

“I didn’t originally nominate him because he probably needed another trial.”

“But when it was a small field I thought I might as well throw him in.”

“A couple of the better ones weren’t there, so we hoped for a good draw, then he drew barrier eight.”

“So I went back and drove him quietly and hoped the gaps came our way.”

My Ultimate Chevron won Saturday’s mile (1609m) feature by three-quarters of a length, in a winning time of 1.56.5.

Prior to going through the ring at NZB Standardbred’s 2020 National Yearling Sale in Christchurch, My Ultimate Chevron also went under the hammer as a weanling at NZB’s Standardbred’s 2019 All Age Sale at Auckland.

He has purchased by the Lake Brunner Syndicate for $13,000 from Woodlands Stud draft.

The Tumby Park owners Scott Whitton and Jodie Foster were active again at the 2021 edition of NZB Standardbred’s National Yearling Sales in Christchurch.

They purchased Lot 376 for $40,000, an Art Major filly from Bettor’s Delight mare Joanne’s A Delight (NZ) out of Graeme and Ann Mee’s draft.

Tumby Park also purchased Lot 406, a Captaintreacherous filly from Bettor’s Delight mare Milwood Ivy (NZ) out of Millwood Farm’s draft for $35,000.

NZB Standardbred