Gunnedah horse trainer Sally Torrens had a memorable victory at Tamworth Jockey Club last Friday, as Gold Smiles won in a field of 10 after being the ninth favourite.
In the seventh of eight races at the Tamworth track, the Torrens-trained and Shannen Llewellyn-ridden Gold Smiles had a starting price of $51 while only one other horse had longer odds; a starting price of $61.
The gap between the winner and runner-up was nearly three lengths, with the second placegetter being an equal-seventh favourite with a starting price of $26.
From barrier three while the distance was 1200m, Gold Smiles began well and maintained a top three placing for the first 800m before bolting to the lead while staying away from the rail.
“He’s got enough gate speed to hold a spot, and that’s what happened,” Torrens said.
Torrens said wins with such lengthy odds “don’t come around too often” although “it was no shock to us” that the gelding did so well.
Torrens said the barrier draw was favourable while Gold Smiles’s previous race – 26 days earlier – resulted in a third place at Gulgong while Llewellyn was the jockey.
The June 8 race day at Gulgong wasn’t a TAB meet, with the track rated a Soft 6 while there was light rain.
Gold Smiles finished 1.6 lengths behind the victor at Gulgong while the distance was 1000m, with Llewellyn later saying she felt a win was possible if the race had been 200m longer.
The Tamworth track was also rated a Soft 6 last Friday – having originally been a Soft 7 – with Llewellyn saying conditions were wet but “on the drier side of a heavier softer track”.
Gold Smiles’s victory was also special for Llewellyn, as it was the jockey’s 87th career win and the first time she rode a winner on a Torrens-trained horse at a TAB race meeting. Llewellyn’s previous win for Torrens was at a non-TAB race meeting in Mendooran last September, with Omikami the triumphant horse.
Llewellyn said it was “really good to have a win for her (Torrens)” while she appreciated the support, particularly after Llewellyn hadn’t had much luck when riding for Torrens.
Gold Smiles’s previous win was at Gunnedah just over a year ago when Jack Baker was the jockey, after the gelding’s only win before that was at Moree in November 2023 when Braith Nock was the jockey.
Llewellyn rode Gold Smiles to seventh out of 10 and last out of 10 in two races at Moree last year, when the barrier draw wasn’t favourable.
Llewellyn said there were no instructions when riding Gold Smiles last Friday, as Torrens “leaves it in your hands” and was “very faithful and trustworthy”.
The jockey said she had followed the career of Gold Smiles since Torrens had him, while it was “very meaningful” to win on this gelding and to make up for previous results.
Llewellyn described Gold Smiles as a champion, while the gelding had “the biggest heart for such a small horse”.
Llewellyn said she didn’t recall any of her previous winners having long odds to the extent that Gold Smiles did, with the closest coming last October when she rode the winner in the Coonabarabran Cup feature race.
On that occasion, the Llewellyn-ridden and Jane Clement-trained Macleay had a starting price of $41.
Torrens said the next race for Gold Smiles would likely be at Tamworth again, in the next couple of weeks.
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