Smith family bragging rights up for grabs

By Glenn Davis

Family bragging rights will be up for grabs when father-and-son rivals, Fred and Tom Smith, clash in the $200,000 Country Cups Challenge Final at Doomben on Saturday.

Veteran trainer Fred has been around horses all his life and will saddle up Mocambo in the 1630 metre feature while son, Tom, is looking for the major share of the prizemoney with Bayerische.

As well as family bragging rights, it will be a history making feat if the father-and-son pair quinella the Country Cups Challenge.

Fred has booked Justin Stanley, who currently leads the Queensland jockey’s premiership, for Mocambo while Tom has snapped up Melbourne Cup-winning rider Robbie Dolan for Bayerische.

Mocambo won his qualifying race at Emerald last month but had to jam in three more country starts to meet the race’s conditions of starting in five races at TAB and non-TAB country race meetings in the past 12 months.

Bayerische claimed his spot with a qualifying win at Yeppoon on November 2.

“The owners are stoked to get a Melbourne Cup-winning jockey to ride Bayerische as we wanted a rider who could ride a light weight and Robbie was available,” Tom said.

“It was a good run last start and the form out of the race has stood up well.”

Like his father, the 23-year-old Tom was fresh out of school as an 18-year-old when he started breaking in horses before being asked to take up training.

He originally planned to be a pilot before taking on the training caper four years ago and expects a strong showing from Bayerische who started his career with Sunshine Coast trainer Stuart Kendrick. 

Fred is no newcomer to Brisbane having saddled his former star performer Motorised, who won at Doomben in 2014, which was one of 14 wins for the former Rockhampton sprinter.

The Smith rivals will share a float trip to Brisbane on Thursday after Mocambo came up with a perfect barrier one draw while Bayerische drew gate 12.

“I’ve cut back on a lot of my horses lately and only have a few in work nowadays, but I’ve been training for about 30 years,” the 67-year-old Fred said.

“I’ve been with horses all my life and did a lot of breaking in early days.

“My horse is going well and the rails will suit him perfectly so I’m confident he’ll run well but it’s a hard race.

“I think my bloke will be a bit stronger over the mile than Tom’s and I was very happy when he got 56kgs.”