THE SMITH FACTOR

Champion East Cape trainer Gavin Smith will be aiming to make it four wins in a row in the R250 000 Listed Racehorse Owners Association (ROA) Stakes at Fairview on Friday.

Global Drummer started the wonderful recent run in this race for Smith when he won in 2020.

Norton Sound was the winner in 2021 and last year Khaya’s Hope made it a hat trick for the Smith stable in this event for three-year-olds over 1600m.

Bold Silvano (2009) was another famous Smith winner of the ROA Stakes. Big City Life, Paris Perfect, Run For It and Gold Standard are also on the roll of honour which just shows this is a special race to win.

The ROA Stakes will be the feature at Friday’s meeting (race 7 at 16:15) which gets the Algoa Festival weekend underway.

Zoomie (Brett Crawford) is the short priced favourite to win the ROA Stakes but Fairy Knight (Alan Greeff) and Vision Of Wonder (Smith) will be ready to fight.

RECENT WINNERS

ROA STAKES

2022: Khaya’s Hope

2021: Norton Sound

2020: Global Drummer

2019: Viva Rio

2018: Just Chaos

2017: Pack Leader

2016: Gold Standard

2015: Memphis Mafia

2014: Light The Lights

2013: Top Jet

2012: Way Clear

2011: Changingoftheguard

2010: Run For It

2009: Bold Silvano

2008: Big City Life

2007: Paris Perfect