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While we are only in the first few weeks of the Northern Hemisphere breeding season, stallion masters in Australia are already at work on recruiting new stallions to their rosters for the 2012 breeding season, which begins in the Northern Hemisphere summer. The first of these to appear on TrueNicks is Smart Missile (TrueNicks), who will be standing at Arrowfield Stud, and looks among the most exciting young horses to retire in Australia in the last few years.

Bred by the Gooree Park Stud of Eduardo Cojuangco, Smart Missile carried the Gooree colors throughout his career. Smart Missile made his debut in the five-furlong NSW Breeders’ Plate, and became a stakes winner at first time of asking, scoring by daylight from a field that included subsequent group II winner Wild and Proud, and group I performers Darci Be Good and Induna. Returning six months later for the six-furlong Todman Slipper Trial Stakes (gr. II), Smart Missile produced a devasting kick to run down the previously undefeated group I winner Sepoy, with sprint star Foxwedge back in third. Two weeks later, Smart Missile and Sepoy disputed favoritism for the Golden Slipper (gr. I), but the highly-anticipated clash never took place, Smart Missile having to be scratched after getting his leg caught over an upright. Sepoy went on to win the Golden Slipper, leaving Smart Missile as the only horse to defeat the champion at 2, and as one of only two horses to win a race against Sepoy in his 12 starts to date.

Returning at 3 in the six-furlong Run to the Rose (gr. III, video below), Smart Missile produced an astonishing finishing burst, moving from last on the home turn to score from Foxwedge, three-time group I winner Helmet, and millionaire Karuta Queen.

In the seven-furlong Golden Rose (gr. I), Smart Missile produced again closed fast to narrowly miss catching four-time group winner Manawanui, with Foxwedge and Helmet well-beaten.

Smart Missile is by one of Danehill’s most exciting young sons, the Australian champion 3-year-old and sprinter Fastnet Rock (AUS) (TrueNicks,SRO). With his third crop only 3-year-olds of the 2011-2012 season, Fastnet Rock has already sired 26 stakes winners, including the group I scorers Atlantic Jewel, Irish Lights, Wanted, Rock Classic, Mosheen, Planet Rock, Lone Rock, and Rock ‘n’ Pop. Out of the Red Ransom granddaughter Comical Smile, Smart Missile is a half sister to stakes winner Kiss From A Rose. Comical Smile is herself a half sister to another brilliant Gooree speedster, Northern Meteor (AUS) (TrueNicks), a spectacular group I winner who was nicknamed the “Usain Bolt of Australian racing” after the winner of the Beijing Olympic 100m and 200m events, both in world record time. Smart Missile's granddam, Explosive, is a stakes-placed daughter of Fappiano and the stakes winner Scuff. By Forli out of U.S. Horse of the Year Moccasin, Scuff shares all four of her grandparents with champion sprinter Thatch, Coronation Stakes (gr. II) victress Lisadell, and Special, the dam of Nureyev and granddam of Sadler’s Wells and Fairy King.

Filed under: Announcements, Australian Racing, Australia, New Sires