Moments of anxiety returned, but Austin Galati found redemption for a recent slip-up with Smooth Chino at Flemington on Saturday.
The Western Australian rider guided the classy sprinter to a thrilling victory over Mazu in the $300,000 Group 2 McEwen Stakes over 1200 metres.
The slender margin of victory, just a nose, was only slightly more than his previous outing in the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes at Flemington on October 3, when he was beaten a short-half-head by Skybird as the riders of the first two home stopped riding prior to the winning post.
There was no chance of Galati repeating that error, and he was delighted to repay the connections’ faith in him.
“Thanks so much to Indi and the owners for keeping me on, especially after last time with the hiccup with the winning post, but we found it today,” Galati said.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the horse. What an amazing team effort. Such a big credit to this horse and Indi for her second starter at Flemington – something like this is everything for us.”
The win was Smooth Chino’s first in Victoria. The Maschino gelding was formerly one of WA’s top sprinters before relocating to Gawler in South Australia with his trainer Indianna Weinert.
The gelding, purchased for $40,000 at the Perth Magic Millions Yearling Sale, has now won eight of his 13 starts, with Saturday’s win boosting his earnings to $926,780.
Smooth Chino ($8.50) and Mazu ($14) pulled away from the rest of the McEwen Stakes field in the run to the line, with the $2.50 favourite Extragalactic finishing a length behind in third.
“I cannot believe it, I took the punt to buy a horse that I didn’t even have the money to pay for him on the day and what he has done for me has changed my life,” Weinert declared.
“He needs to be over this way. In WA he was going to be out of his class there and here he seems to fit in very well.”
Weinert is now keen to see how he performs at the highest level, with a possible start in the Group 1 Champions Sprint (1200m) on November 7 against Tempted.
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