Stakes Double for Smart Missile

Game on - with Smart Missile doubling his number of stakes winners in one day at Morphettville, the Arrowfield stallion has put his name in the fray for leading second crop sire.

After two-year-old filly I'll Have a Bit broke her maiden in the Group III National Stakes, the well named Exocet burst between runners under Craig Williams to claim the Listed 7 News Centaurea Stakes (2019m).

Coming off a win in the Wagga Guineas, the Lee and Anthony Freedman-trained 3yo filly defeated the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Sought After (Wanted) by a long-neck with Have Another Glass (Domesday) a head back in third.

Carrying the colours of her breeder, Jonathan Munz's Pinecliff Racing, Exocet advances her record to 4 wins and 1 third from 11 starts with earnings of $200,875.

A close-up fourth in the Group II Fillies Classic at Moonee Valley back in October, the daughter of Smart Missile is the second foal and second stakes winner out of the Zabeel mare Crillon.

Her first foal was the talented Ready For Victory (More Than Ready) winner of the Listed VRC Festival of Racing Stakes when on debut before ma luckless fourth in the Group I Golden Slipper at Rosehill.

At three, Ready For Victory was third behind Press Statement in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas and earned a spot on the Sun Stud stallion roster.

A half-sister to the Group I AJC Champagne Stakes winner Meurice, Crillon has a yearling filly by Bernardini (USA) and a weanling filly by More Than Ready (USA). She was bred back to So You Think last spring.

Exocet becomes the fourth stakes winner for Smart Missile (pictured) who is closing the gap on Foxwedge and So You Think in the race for second season sire honours.