Matthew and Melissa Smith owners of a world-class racing stable at Warwick Farm (NSW, Australia) purchased quite a number of top-quality horses at the Classic Yearling Sale last year.
Matthew C. Smith Racing Stable is already known as the home of Group One-winning Dane Shadow mare Hurtle Myrtle, a winner of not only the Group One Myer Classic but the Group Two Sapphire Stakes and the Group Two Dane Ripper.
Matthew worked with leading global trainers such as Aidan O’Brien and Niall O’Callaghan before he decided to open his own training establishment.
Matthew’s wife Melissa is an accomplished horsewoman in her own right. Mellissa is not only an accomplished champion show jumping athlete but she has also worked for some of Japan’s leading trainers in Hokkaido. Eventually, she returned to Australia to work in marketing at William Inglis and Son before joining Matthew full time.
Matthew Smith took time off his busy schedule to discuss his plans for this year’s Classic Yearling sale and also tell us more about his aspirations for his business.
Q: You purchased quite a several horses this year last year's Classic Inglis sale. When you go to the sales how do you plan your purchases? What's involved and who from your team is involved?
A: All work at the sales is done with my wife Melissa Smith. To start with we research all the pedigrees in the catalogue; from there we then inspect all the yearlings in the sale, taking into consideration their type. This is very important for a sale such as the Inglis Classic sale which may not have the pedigree pages of some other sales.
When we have narrowed down our list we will inspect these yearlings for a second and maybe third time, before arriving at a final shortlist that we're both happy with. From there we will then have them vetted which includes the x-rays, scope and heart checks.
Q: Out of the lot you bought last year, which is the one you are most pleased about? Where is he/ she now?
A: We purchased 10 yearlings out of the Inglis Classic Sale last year. As of early January, most are unraced but I do like a Wandjina filly by the name of Rock My Wand ($20,000 purchase) and I also am very happy with an unnamed Dundeel filly ($130,000 purchase - picture attached) that is progressing well.
Q: What's the most expensive and most successful racehorse you've made at this sale? (They could be the same horse or different ones)
A: At the 2018 Inglis Classic sale, I purchased a Snitzel filly for $170,000; she is yet to get to the race track.
The best filly I purchased was Hurtle Myrtle (picture attached), we purchased her for $55,000 and she went on to win the Group 1 Myer Classic in Melbourne. She amassed close to $800,000 in prize money before she was sold as a broodmare for the $1mill mark.
Q: Which sales will you be attending during the season?
A: All Australian sales.
Q: With the success of a homebred stayer like Vow and Declare have you been asked to secure any top-quality stayers?
A: Yes, we have only recently purchased a lightly raced mare out of Germany called Cliff's Art (IRE). She was one of the top 3-year-old fillies in Germany last year and we were very excited to be able to have secured her. I was very impressed with her race record in Germany and she has the pedigree page to back that up too. We'll syndicate her through our stable and aim her towards some top stakes and group races later this year. We also have a handful of European imports that we have purchased in the last 12 months that are progressing very well and they're on track for the Autumn Carnival that is only just around the corner.
We're always on the lookout for the next top-line stayer that could potentially win a Melbourne Cup for our stable!