Canberra trainer Todd Smart had one sole mission when attending last year’s HTBA Yearling Sale – to buy a horse that could win the A$200,000 Inglis Challenge at Scone 12 months later.
Cashbook scores a decisive victory in the 2YO feature on Scone Cup Day (Pic – Inglis)
Fast forward to Friday, 16 May and that horse – now named Cashbook (Flying Artie) – did exactly that, scoring a decisive victory in the 2YO feature on Scone Cup Day.
It’s the second time in three years Smart has won the Inglis Challenge, following the success of Love Shuck in 2023.
Smart and Peter Twomey of Wattle Bloodstock purchased Cashbook for A$28,000 at the HTBA Yearling Sale at Riverside, where he was offered by Widden Stud.
Following Friday’s success Cashbook, who was bred by Julia Ritchie’s Bangaloe Stud Syndicate, has already won almost four times his purchase price for his thrilled connections.
Smart wanted to target the Inglis Challenge due to its incredible prizemoney.
“It’s unreal, these owners are celebrating like they’ve won the Melbourne Cup, it means so much to them and I love the Inglis Race Series because of the opportunities like today’s that it gives a trainer like me and owners like these guys,’’ Smart said.
“This Scone race is awesome, it’s really great prizemoney and it’s a race I’ll absolutely keep targeting and hopefully win many more of.
“He’s a nice horse Cashbook, Peter Twomey and I liked him at the sale and I was pretty confident coming here today that he’d run a nice race and to get the win is super.
“Thanks to Inglis, I love buying horses off you guys and I love winning your Race Series races even more!’’
It wasn’t only on the track that proved profitable in the Inglis Challenge.
The Gary Portelli-trained So Rebellious was awarded the Best Turned Out ahead of the race, by judge Jamie Inglis.
As a result, the horse’s strapper Sam Chaudhary won a A$500 gift card.
Meanwhile in the Listed Scone Cup Tavi Time (Tavistock) led in an Inglis Ready2Race Sale graduates quinella when defeating Strait Acer.
Trained by Kris Less, Tavi Time is a A$130,000 Adrian Pazman purchase from the 2021 Ready2Race Sale, where he was offered by Kiltannon Stables.
He is now a dual Stakes winner of A$820,000 in prizemoney.
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