Smyth hopeful of some early New Year's joy at Rockhampton

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Kerrod Smyth is hopeful of some early New Year’s joy when he heads to Rockhampton on Tuesday.

Smyth has four horses engaged but is likely to leave former Brisbane sprinter Ocean Emperor and maidener Divine Kamehalani in their stables ahead of the Mackay meeting three days later.

It leaves Smyth to saddle Fay Faye in the Class 3 Plate and Nic Me Some in the 0-65 Handicap.

Nic Me Some is coming off a last start win - his fourth in a 31-start career – in a 1200-metre Class 3 at Mackay last month.

The six-year-old son of Nicconi had his first start for Smyth in August of last year and was formerly trained at the Gold Coast by Marcus Wilson.

“He won a weak Class 3 last start at Mackay but there’s nothing around for him for the next five weeks so I’ll have to start him tomorrow,” Smyth said.

“He was held up for a run late in the straight last start before he got a needle eye opening and burst through to win.

“Marcus (Wilson) still has a share in him but I think this area is a touch hard for him.

“He’d be better suited up north around Townsville and Cairns and I think he’d make a super country horse.”

Smyth is confident Fay Faye can complete a hat-trick of wins following the four-year-old’s past two wins in a Maiden at Mackay and a Class 1 at Rockhampton.

“She’s won two from three and is going well,” he said.

“She might be a risk first-up but her record is good and she’s had a jump out, although I would have liked to have had a trial.”

A former stock inspector, Smyth has come a long way since starting training in 1979 and has learnt of some of the state’s best trainers.

He gained a lot of useful tips from trainers when he travelled from Springsure to the Gold Coast for holidays over a three-year period.

Alan Bailey and the late Jim Griffiths were two of the trainers which had a big impact on his decision to start training.

“I’d go to the Gold Coast and stand with (premiership-winning) trainers Jim Griffiths and Alan Bailey,” Smyth said. 

“They gave me a lot of useful tips over a period of three years when I used to go to the Gold Coast on holidays.”