Racing: Smedley goes back to back with Gold Cup win

Northland trainer Donna Logan (here with jockey Troy Harris earlier this month), had another winner with Not Usual Trip yesterday. Photo/John Stone

Smedley again showed the dour side of his nature at Ruakaka where he successfully defended his ITM Whangarei Gold Cup title.

The rising 9-year-old regularly hits a flat spot in his races and part-owner and trainer Clayton Stevenson emphasised that on Saturday to his rider Jordan Nason.

"I said don't give up on him, he always gets a second wind and he'll keep coming," Stevenson said. "It was Jordan's first ride on him so we're all really pleased."

Smedley beat Candle In The Wind to take major honours in 2016 while Stevenson's late father Dick prepared the son of Colombia's half-sister Letsgoparty to win the Cup in 2008.

"Dad liked the family and after she first trialled he went out and bought the mother," Stevenson said.

Smedley enjoyed a cosy run on the fence and he responded to Nason's urgings with a sustained finish that saw them triumph in a driving finish from the local hopes Kaharau, Zafrenzy and Greencast.

The gelding got home by a head and much to Nason's relief as he lost an iron about 150m from the post.

Smedley has now won three times at Ruakaka to go with his five successes at Ellerslie and one apiece at Dargaville and Pukekohe Park.

"He gets a bit restless when he goes further away," Stevenson said. "He's fine travelling down there on the truck, but when he stays somewhere overnight he just doesn't settle or eat up."

Meanwhile, Precocious youngster Not Usual Trip booked himself another outing in black type company with a commanding performance at Ruakaka off the back of a break.

Trained on the course by Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs, the heavily backed colt thumped his rivals in Saturday's Tavistock Owners' Syndicate 2Y0.

"We've obviously got a lot of time for the horse and the 1000 metres was the only question mark, it was a little bit short for him but, gee, he won well," Logan said.

Not Usual Trip was a debut winner at Ellerslie in April and he was then put aside after finishing fourth at Te Rapa behind the now Melbourne-based Ardrossan in the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes.

"The Northland Breeders' Stakes here looks a nice stepping stone so we'll probably look at that for him," Logan said.

The son of Stryker is raced by Hongwei Chen and Alex Teng's Horse Feng Bloodstock, who have recently acquired an interest in his former stablemate Qiji Phoenix. He won three of his four starts for Logan and Gibbs before joining Chris Waller's Sydney stable.

Not Usual Trip's victory also announced rider Matt Cameron's return to the northern jockeys' ranks after a European holiday.

He was able to enjoy a smooth introduction on the colt, who answered positively when asked to sprint off a handy sit and careered away to win by five-and-a-half lengths.

"He's a top horse. He's pretty cruisy and also won his first race nicely," Cameron said. "I knew I had the horse underneath me on the turn and he kicked well. He's coming up nicely."

- NZ Racing Desk