On Sunday at Horsham onlookers had their hearts in their mouths as they saw Star Smash hold on for a last stride win in the 2100m maiden.
As usual Star Smash jumped well from the gate and jockey Jarrod Fry put him in a nice position heading to the 800m mark. He allowed a couple to go around him and the leaders stacked them up, forcing a move at the 600 from Fry which proved a masterstroke. Star Smash strode clear at the top of the straight with a seemingly unassailable lead and the punters were counting their cash – bet they don’t know Star Smash like we do! Jarrod Fry was lucky to hold on as he laid out badly in the final 100m. He was able to straighten up and get the most out of Star Smash to just hold on for a greatly deserved maiden win.
The camera angle at Horsham in the tight photo finish may or may not have resulted in some damage to the trainer’s phone but all’s well that ends well and we came home a winner! Congratulations to all the owners who have been loyal and hung in there while Simon has worked hard to get this quirky horse to fulfil his potential. We aren’t there yet but he’s learning and we’re looking forward to seeing him improve again.
