Trainer Alec Laird and owner-breeder Jessica Slack will be hoping the effort of taking J&B Met winner Smart Call halfway across the world is worthwhile as she prepares for her first race in the UK.

The daughter of Ideal World is slated to run in the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket on 1 October and last week she was out through her paces by jockey Frankie Dettori. The prized mare certainly looked the part as she sheltered from a sudden rainstorm under the trees of the Al Bahathri gallop while waiting for her work partner from John Gosden’s stable.

That transpired to be Dick Doughtywylie, who at the age of eight is now retired but was a Listed winner in his day for his owner-breeder Rachel Hood.

The pair breezed just short of 1600m on the Polytrack of the Al Bahathri gallop in preparation for Smart Call’s appearance in the Sun Chariot Stakes before she embarks on her travels again, to Santa Anita for the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

“She was a little rusty but that was her first serious piece of work since she’s been here,” was Dettori’s verdict as he left the gallops. “That will bring her on nicely and there’s three weeks to go before the race which should be perfect.”

–          Racing UK