Black-Type Breakthrough for Archaic Smile

Two years on from her first black-type victory in the Listed Wellesley Stakes (1100m) at Trentham – and with nine top-five finishes in stakes races in between – quality mare Archaic Smile (Saxon Warrior) finally came out on top again on Saturday.

The $110,000 Listed Bramco Granite & Marble Flying Handicap (1400m), again at Trentham, was the fifth win of a 23-start career for Archaic Smile. She has also had five seconds, five fourths and five fifths and has earned $450,575 – more than eight times her purchase price at Karaka 2023.

After capturing the Wellesley Stakes as a two-year-old in January 2024, Archaic Smile went on to finish fifth in the Group Two Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), second in the Group One Sistema Stakes (1200m), fourth in the Group One Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), fifth in the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m), second in the Group Two Wellington Guineas (1400m), second in the Group Three Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), fifth in the Group Three Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (1400m), fourth in the Group Three TAB Mile (1600m) and fourth in the Group Three Cuddle Stakes (1600m).

At last, Saturday was her day. Rider Masa Hashizume gave her a perfect run in midfield along the rail, angled her through a gap two off the fence in the straight, and Archaic Smile did the rest.

She quickened brilliantly and burst to the lead with 200 metres to run. Her job was far from over, with Churchillian (NZ) (Churchill) fighting back hard on her inside while December (NZ) (Shamexpress) charged home out wide, but Archaic Smile kept finding and kept kicking, and this time she would not be denied.

“She loves the big corner here at Trentham, she’s not quite as good around the tight, turning tracks,” trainer Hollie Wynyard said.

“Every time she goes out, you can’t be disappointed – she gives it everything. I knew she would get another stakes win somewhere along the way, and I’m just rapt she got it today.

“I said to Masa not to get too far off them, and when he got her to the fence, I was thinking, ‘Well, that’s a 10-out-of-10 effort.

“I know how tough Churchillian is to get past when she is in front, so our little girl gave it everything she had.”

Archaic Smile was bred by Bob Emery and was offered by Woburn Farm in Book 1 of Karaka 2023, where she was bought by her owner Masa Otani.