2016 Gr1 J&B Met winner, Smart Call
A little over a week after her last minute scratching from the Gr1 Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket on 3 October 2016, trainer Alec Laird confirmed that Smart Call was cleared to start work on Monday, 10 October.
“When Smart Call came out of her box that Saturday morning and we realised she wasn’t quite right, we had to make a decision. After 9 months without hiccups, that was a tough pill to swallow, but we had to call off the race.”
“With the help of Fernando Perez and John McVeigh and their diagnostic tools, we’ve ruled out all the major worries that would preclude her from going back into training. She was sound after a few days and been getting better ever since and last Friday we were given the green light to resume work and press ahead for the Breeders’ Cup.”
Breeders’ Cup Prep
“It’s a pity that we missed the Sun Chariot as it was exactly 5 weeks before the Breeders’ Cup race and fitted in nicely with our programme. With this bump we’ve had to go to Plan B, which is to head straight to the Breeders’ Cup without a prep, so at this stage that’s where we are. The good news is that she is fitter than I thought – I have to say one certainly can get a horse fit at Newmarket – and she had been flying, so I think it’s worth a try. For the first week we’ll be working gingerly and we’ll build from there. One day at a time.”
Alec confirmed that the Breeders’ Cup horses are scheduled to fly to the USA on 29 October, so the team are aiming to give her a gallop on or around the 26th and base a final decision on that. He continued, “Even if we don’t go, all is not lost. We’ve got next year to campaign her if she’s good enough and then she can be covered Southern Hemisphere time. One is obviously always a bit nervous when it comes to horses, so for now we’re just hoping for the best.”
