JP van der Merwe made the most of a pick-up ride when piloting 8-1 chance Smart Call to a smashing victory in the Gr1 J&B Met at a packed Kenilworth yesterday. It was almost as if Alec Laird’s filly had jumped in at the top of the straight as she powered past hot favourite Legal Eagle to win as she liked. Legal Eagle was 3,5 lengths adrift at the line with Captain America and Light The Lights filling the minor placings.

Weichong Marwing, who missed the ride on Illuminator in the $1 Million Dollar last Saturday because of a serious back injury, was also carded to ride Smart Call but Laird was undecided on who to replace him with until mid-week with names like Frankie Dettori and Dougie Whyte being bandied about.

But Laird eventually settled on Van der Merwe. “He’s done a lot of work on her and whenever I asked him to ride her he hopped on immediately even though he was not riding her in a race.”

“He was down to ride for Paul Reeves so I thought, why not?” mused Laird.

“Once I got the ride I kept on refreshing (the webpage) to see if I was still on,” said Van der Merwe. “I checked again this morning just to make sure.”

As races went it was straight forward for the winner. “I sat behind Anton and Legal Eagle and when I asked her she quickened away.”

Big occasions can get the better of Laird, a family trait inherited from his father Syd, who was also short on words and to the point in his victory speeches. “I was hoping to win; not as well as that,” he quipped. “She got a very good place sitting behind the favourite. She was in the right place.”

Owner Jessica Slack has a family pedigree filled with as much Black type as Laird’s and the home-bred filly by resident Mauritzfontein stallion Ideal World is out of the mare Good Judgement by the best racehorse ever bred at the famous Oppenheimer stud, Horse Chestnut.

“I knew she was a good filly,” gushed Slack, “but I didn’t think that good.”

The 16-10 favourite Legal Eagle was given every chance by Anton Marcus who looked to have ridden the perfect race at he took command in the straight. But there were no answers forthcoming once Smart Call quickened past.

Disappointments were stable companions Futura and Legislate. The latter dictated matters early but had nothing to come in the straight while Futura was never in the hunt.

However, although Snaith failed to land his first Met, his army of 36 runners produced eight winners and as consolation 8-1 chance Ovidio hammered home in the Gr 2  J&B Urban Honey Stayers from Coltrane and Kingston Mines. This eclipsed Snaith’s previous Met total of five and his record of seven in Port Elizabeth.

Corne Orffer has been around the block and finally cracked his Grade 1 duck in the Betting World Cape Flying Championship aboard the Brett Crawford runner Gulf Storm. In doing so Orffer snapped Snaith’s early run of winners – but it was a close run thing.

S’Manga Khumalo kicked favourite Carry On Alice for home through the 400m mark, a move that looked to have paid off 50m out. But Khumalo became increasing desperate as the line approached and was swamped 20m from victory. The blinkered Gulf Storm and Brutal Force wore the game filly down and with two short-heads separating the first three home the judges posted Gulf Storm from Brutal Force and Carry On Alice.

“Brett always had this race in mind. He aimed him for this race since he got back from Durban,” said Orffer of his first Grade 1 win.

A hoarse Crawford croaked, “Credit must go to Corne. He gave the horse a fantastic ride. Putting the blinkers on made all the difference.”
– Andrew Harrison
Lead picture: Smart Call winning the 2016 J&B Met (Liesl King)