First season sire Smart Missile is on a mission in May and it's all about winning - so far he's added three new city-class winners to his CV in a fortnight.
The latest landed at Randwick on Wednesday when Bob & Fiona Guth's home-bred colt Cadogan sprinted brilliantly in the straight to down the favourite Flow by 1.8 lengths over 1400 metres.
Watch 2YO colt Cadogan win at Randwick.
The good-looking colt first attracted attention with a trial win last October. He was fifth on debut in April and then third to another Smart Missile colt, Jericho, at Warwick Farm on 4 May.
Between Jericho and Cadogan, first-starter Blazing Steel contributed a smart debut win to Smart Missile's May mission when he defeated older rivals at Scone's Cup meeting last Friday. Bearing the same name as a very good 1990s sprinter, and prepared by Kris Lees for Ron & Judy Wanless, Blazing Steel is out of Beebop (by Success Express), a half-sister to Sydney stakeswinner More Than Great.
Watch 2YO gelding Blazing Steel win on debut at Scone.
Cadogan and Jericho may meet again in Queensland where the Sires' Produce S. G2 on 28 May and the J.J. Atkins G1 on 11 June are live targets for both colts.
Trainer Bjorn Baker said after Cadogan's win, "Winning Rupert and this fellow are the two clear leaders of my two-year-olds.
"It's nice to see him [Cadogan] put his hand up. Winning Rupert is off for a spell and this one will go up to Queensland for the Sires' Produce on Saturday week.
"The way he handled the 1400 metres today shows he should be suited in the Sires'."
Cadogan is the result of an exercise that began for the Guths when bloodstock agent Vin Cox bought the Malibu Moon filly Cadazzle for $US115,000 at the 2010 Keeneland November Sale. Imported to Australia the following year, she was trained by Grahame Begg to win at Wyong, but was retired to her new home at Newhaven Park in August 2012 and served the following month by Smart Missile.
Bob & Fiona decided to race Cadogan themselves after his sale as a yearling fell through, but have continued to give Cadazzle good opportunities, resulting in a 2013 Pierro colt and 2014 Smart Missile filly. The mare is currently in foal to Snitzel.
Smart Missile has now had five winners, including Listed winner Sassy 'N' Smart, and the stakes performers Smart Amelia (Sydney), Smart Manoeuvre (Adelaide) & Fromparis With Love (Melbourne).