Elie On Track for Classic for Lucky Les

Veteran trainer Les Smerdon has been a man on a mission to breed a good horse and impressive two-year-old winner Elie Joe may well have answered his prayers.

The speedy Wanted gelding, bred, raced and trained by Smerdon and his wife Desley, raced into contention for next month’s $100,000 2YO Classic at Cluden with a runaway win at Cluden on Friday.

For Smerdon, now 75, who retired to Townsville from his home town of Mt Isa five years ago, the win came with great personal satisfaction after years of breeding his own.

“I bred horses when QTIS first started and they used to have them in Mt Isa and it was only myself and Eddie Campbell that had two year olds because they said you couldn’t train them out there. We proved that wrong,” Smerdon said.

“Elie’s mother is Queenin Caper, she’s by Exceed And Excel. She was a city winning mare twice in five starts. I bought her at a dispersal with a foal at foot and the plan was to try and breed our own winners.

“The foal hurt his fetlock and never raced. Then along came Elie and I’ve bred two fillies from her since.

“The mare’s at the age where it’s all over for her now. 

“I’ve got a filly by Worthy Cause, who is a bit like him (Elie) and there’s no reason why she won’t gallop and the other one is by Kobayashi.”

“Elie has shown us something from day dot. Right up until his first race he’d never been beaten in a barrier trial.”

Elie Joe gave the Smerdons something to be excited about after he won his first official barrier trial and ran second to the smart Sunnycoast in the Pallarenda Stakes in October.

But a recurring foot problem and shoulder injury kept him away from the races until his easy win at Cluden on Friday in a two-year-old maiden over 1000m.

Smerdon was worried the gelding might be underdone but knew his determination would carry him a long way.

“Today I shoved him in there and thought well ‘you’re going to have to tough it out boy’,” Smerdon said.

“We had a jump out here two weeks ago and he won so I thought why not.

“I was hoping I’d get another start for him before the Classic race but now it’s too close.

“I’ll just have to do what I can with him on the track. If I can get him to go I think he’ll be right amongst them.”

Smerdon said he had banked on good blood lines to give him success with Elie Joe and his sisters.

“I don’t think he’s as good as a horse I bred years ago by Imperial Baron who was a lot slicker but this fella is going in the right direction,” Smerdon said.

“I think he will eventually be a good horse and the fillies might be good too.

“With my breeding program I always think breed the best with the best that’s why I bought an Exceed And Excel, good broodmare sire. And she went to Wanted, a Fastnet Rock, and then Worthy Cause, by Choisir, and the next one Kobayashi by I Am Invincible.

“So hopefully there’s more wins coming along.”

Unheralded youngster Jawgo stunned his trainer and punters with a brilliant debut win on Friday’s card.

The Performer gelding, named after his owners Brian and Chris Jorgensen, streeted his opposition and left leading trainer Georgie Holt surprised.

Holt, who’s main concern on the day was the welfare of her apprentice Kiran Quilty after a fall in the following race, now plans to give Jawgo his chance in next month’s $100,000 Townsville 2YO Classic.

He will be up against gun gallopers Bush Diamond and Roweiner’s Dance who fought out a thrilling finish in the Prelude over 1200m.

“He’s not the smartest horses going, but every gallop, every jumpout, everything you do with him he takes a huge leap forward,” Holt said.

“We knew he was going well and while he won a jumpout it wasn’t as if we thought we can’t wait to get this to the races.

“I thought he’d run well but he has surprised us and he was impressive enough to have a crack at the big race.”

The Jorgensen’s were back in the winner’s circle later in the day when crack filly Redavni breezed home against a classy line-up of three-year-olds over 1300m.

Her win was later outshone by brilliant Cairns galloper Smart Image who continued his march towards the Cleveland Bay Hcp with a powerful win over 1300m.

Apprentice Kiran Quilty escaped serious injury after her fall from Average Jane in the Prelude but was still under observation in hospital over the weekend.

Townsville Turf Club president Mal Petrofski said the young former Victorian apprentice was a valuable recent addition to the local riding ranks.

“Kiran is a fine young rider and we’re all hoping she makes a speedy recovery and is back in action as quickly as possible,” Mr Petrofski said.

Pictured: Elie Joe with trainer Les Smerdon and jockey Rebecca Wilson after winning Race 2 on Cluden Park's card last Friday. 

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