The Kembla Grange racecourse witnessed a spectacular return to form as the exciting gelding Smashing Time took out the $42,000 Moretti Constructions Kembla Grange Cup Benchmark 64 Handicap (1200m).
The impressive win signalled a potentially lucrative summer preparation for the four-year-old, who is trained by the father-and-son team of Robert & Luke Price. Overcoming Adversity and Weight Starting as the well-backed $3.10 favourite (opened at $15 before deductions), Smashing Time faced a significant challenge from the outset.
Drawing a wide barrier, the gelding was caught exposed, running three wide for the better part of the journey. This taxing run, coupled with the heavy impost of 61.5kg, typically spells defeat in a competitive Benchmark race. However, approaching the home turn, jockey Brock Ryan simply steered Smashing Time into the clear, and the response was immediate and overwhelming.
The horse produced an explosive turn of foot, leaving his rivals flat-footed and quickly putting the result beyond doubt. Such was his superiority that in the final 100 metres, Ryan was able to sit motionless, easing the gelding down to win comfortably by 1.8 lengths.
Pedigree of Potential and Form Reflection
Smashing Time is a beautifully bred horse, being by the international Group 1 winner and top sire Brave Smash out of the mare Trick. His pedigree suggested he possessed the raw talent to climb through the grades swiftly, an expectation he confirmed early in his career by winning quickly.
However, his previous preparation saw a noticeable dip in performance. After his promising debut efforts, the gelding endured a frustrating spell, struggling to replicate his earlier brilliance in subsequent starts.
The decision by the Price stable was to send him for a freshen-up, and that move has paid dividends immediately. This first-up victory at Kembla Grange, where he defeated Scopic and Copacabana, strongly indicates that the horse has physically and mentally matured, banishing the memories of his recent slump.
The official time of 1:11.93 on the Good 4 surface confirms the quality of the win, with the sharp closing sectionals painting the picture of a horse ready to tackle higher grade races in the metropolitan or provincial circuit.
For the Price stable, the performance confirms their faith in the galloper’s ability and sets him up for a lucrative campaign in the coming weeks and months.
– Tully Potts
