Trainer Matt Smith has recently delivered some impressive results with placegetters at long odds, but he cannot recall training a Saturday metropolitan winner at odds greater than the $101 offered for Alice Mae.
Initially given little chance by the betting public, the mare navigated her way through the field from midfield and launched a determined charge down the outside rail to secure the B&J Guttering & Metal Roofing Handicap (1800m) by three-quarters of a length ahead of Shangri La Impact, who started at $3.50.
While Smith has previously seen horses like Dezignation start at $151 when finishing second to Green Spaces in the ATC Australian Derby, he cannot remember a runner of his scoring at triple-figure odds.
“That might be the first. But I’ve had a run of 100-1 shots running second and third in the last twelve months, so it’s good to get one up,” Smith stated.
“It was a bit of a shock, but we’ll take it.”
In her initial preparation with Smith, Alice Mae was making her seventh appearance of the campaign at Randwick.
Although the victory was unexpected, Smith indicated he anticipated a strong performance, noting that the five-year-old had been showing progress and required time to build her fitness levels.
“It was just a matter of getting the miles into her,” Smith explained.
“She’s an older mare, and she has taken a while to get fit.
“She has never had a staying preparation before. We’re training her differently to what she would have been trained previously, and we’re giving her a chance to get over a bit of ground.”
Smith also expressed satisfaction with the performance of his other runner, stablemate Hammoon Heroine, who finished in sixth place, and suggested she would be a horse to follow when she races over longer distances.
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