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The highly consistent kiwi galloper Luck Of Smiling (NZ) claimed the biggest victory of his career on Saturday in Macau when winning the Listed (M-3) Macau Sprint Trophy (1200m).
Trained by M C Tam, Luck of Smiling (Elusive City x Sunshine Gold) (pictured left) came into the Sprint Trophy off the back of a successful trial, with his last race appearance coming back in May where he was unplaced for the first time in his career.
A highly consistent galloper, Luck of Smiling has an impressive record on the track with his 15 career starts bringing eight wins and six placings for stakes in excess of $400,000 for his owner K. M. Ng.
The four-year-old made his stakes debut in late April this year where he ran second to Alkhafif in the Listed Macau Chairman's Challenge Cup. Saturday's victory was his first at stakes level from just his second attempt.
Bred by Don & Wendy Pye, Luck of Smiling was purchased by Hawkes Racing from Haunui Farm at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2009 Karaka Festival Sale for $40,000. The Hawkes team also purchased Luck of Smiling's half-brother by Pentire at this year's Karaka Premier Sale from Haunui Farm for $230,000.
Luck of Smiling is the 17th stakes winner for his sire Elusive City who shuttled to Haunui Farm from 2004 to 2010. The sire of Group 1 winning filly Elusive Wave, Elusive City's progeny have had a good season with So Elusive, Hinemoa and Jetset Lad also winning at stakes level.
Elusive City is also the sire of Group 1 placed three-year-old Adamantium, who ran third in this season's Group 1 Futurity Stakes, and So You Think's half-brother Now You Know who placed in the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes in April.
Out of the Zabeel mare Sunshine Gold, Luck of Smiling is the 95th stakes winner for his broodmare sire Zabeel. Zabeel holds extensive leads in both the New Zealand and Australian Broodmare Sires' Premierships with just over three weeks left in the 2011/12 season. Progeny of Zabeel's daughters have won over $17.7 million dollars in the current season in New Zealand and Australia.
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