BEN Smith sat atop racing’s tree in the autumn of 2018.
Then based at Newcastle’s Broadmeadow racecourse, he clinched his two Group 1 triumphs in the space of a fortnight with a couple of his “girls”; In Her Time (Zac Purton) in The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens and El Dorado Dreaming (Damian Lane), who snatched a last-gasp win at $81 in the Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick.
Not so long afterwards Smith’s racing career was in tatters when Racing NSW stewards handed him a lengthy disqualification arising from cobalt and conduct charges.
As a result, more than four years elapsed between his last runner (third placegetter Elaborate at Muswellbrook on September 9, 2018) and his comeback runner (fourth placed Wolves at Gosford on November 19 last year).
Five winners since and counting, the now Kembla Grange-based Smith will return to the scene of his Sires Produce achievement next month when the $500,000 Polytrack Provincial-Midway Championships Final (1400m) is run at Randwick on April 8 (Day 2 of The Championships).
And while it doesn’t boast Group 1 status, he will no doubt get the same buzz he felt with In Her Time and El Dorado Dreaming if a four-year-old simply named Herb can lead the field home.
The 10-start son of Sizzling is raced by brothers-in-law Tory Lavalle (who provided Smith with the opportunity to start from scratch again and resurrect his career) and Tony Bertuccio and ensured a Final berth when runner-up to Essonne in the opening Qualifier of the 2023 series on his home track last Thursday.
“Aussies commonly used the word mate referring to others, and apparently herb is the Italian equivalent,” Smith said.
“That’s how this horse got his name.”
The equine Herb had won only one race – a 1200m Maiden Plate at Kembla Grange last April on a ‘Heavy 10’ surface for his previous trainer – when Smith took him over.
The Provincial-Midway Qualifiers are run as Class 5 Plates, so Herb was well and truly thrown in the deep end at only his second start for his new trainer.
But Smith wasn’t perturbed, and certainly not surprised when he ran home strongly to grab second place, thus putting his name in the frame for the April 8 Final.
“Even though he had won only the one race, I picked him out as a likely contender for this series,” Smith said.
“My only concern was getting his benchmark rating up and he was first emergency at Kembla, but fortunately a few scratchings got us into the field.
“I have a bit of an opinion of Herb, and have no doubt there is more improvement there.
“I have been soft on him to date, but he has done so well since the Kembla Grange race that I’m going to start him again at Randwick on Saturday in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1600m).
“If he runs as well as I expect, I will most likely only need to trial him before he goes to the Final.”
While Smith’s racing world crumbled around him, he didn’t sit in a corner and feel sorry for himself.
Rather, he acknowledged his mistakes and took on different roles, working as a safety officer on the railway, a trade assistant at Bayswater and Liddell power stations, and a FIFO (fly in, fly out) safety officer job in Central Queensland two hours inland from Mackay where a rail line was being built from a mine to the coast.
Racing being his life and love, as he puts it, Smith was determined to get back into the industry when his time on the sideline was up.
“I always wanted to train again,” he said. “I made sure I burnt all my high vis safety gear.
“It’s great to be back. The set-up I have at Kembla is first-class, and Illawarra Turf Club has welcomed me and been very supportive.
“I’ve got 20-odd horses in work predominantly for Tory, Tony and John White and family members, and there’s a few outside ones as well.
“Newhaven Park has kindly sent me a couple and I’ve got a few that I bred before I was disqualified.
“And In Her Time’s previous owner Peter Brown gave me a mare called Piece Of Turf to train after she hadn’t won in four starts. We’ve been able to win three in a row with her at the Sapphire Coast (his first winner back on December 27), Moruya and Canberra.”
Another of his recent winners, three-year-old filly Whisky Wisdom, will line up in Friday week’s $200,000 Group 3 Kembla Grange Classic (1600m).
“If she can win or run very well there, she will go to the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on March 25,” Smith said.
Herb might already be in the April 8 Final, but his trainer hasn’t ruled out getting another one or two to join him.
“Colonel is a bit of an enigma. He can do anything on the track, but hasn’t been reproducing that in his races,” Smith said.
“I will give him the chance to qualify in another heat provided he wins at Moruya on Sunday, and I’ve also got Zenti, one of the horses I bred, racing at Hawkesbury on Saturday. The same there again if he can win at his first run for me.”
Things are certainly looking up again for Ben Smith, who is well and truly back in business and enjoying it. She’ll be right herb!
WORDS - John Curtis
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