‘I’m a bad loser’: Why Gerry Harvey won’t be trackside on Derby Day

Sharp ’N Smart, who won the Victorian Derby and New Zealand Derby – and is the $2.80 favourite for this weekend’s three-year-old classic – was sold for $55,000 to trainer Graeme Rogerson, with Harvey retaining a quarter share. He remained in the ownership when Rogerson put the horse through a ready to run sale and had no takers prepared to pay the $90,000 reserve.

Jimmy Cassidy with Sharp ‘N’ Smart at Jim and Greg Lee’s stables, last spring.Credit:Louise Kennerley

“Sharp ’N’Smart is the favourite for the race, and probably deserves it on his record,” Harvey said. “At the moment he’s rated the best three-year-old in Australia and New Zealand when it comes to the staying trip.

“Have you ever talked to Rogie? You can’t shut him up. I don’t talk to him much, but he talks to me a lot. Rogie would want to run him in anything he can. Rogie pushes his horses much more than I would.

“[If the horse wins] Rogie would be looking at the Queen Elizabeth and trying to figure out why he shouldn’t run in that race. It would not be totally stupid, but I wouldn’t do it and I’d put him away.

Loading

“I have two passions in life – Harvey Norman is No.1, and my horses are No.2. Number three is a long way away.

“I’ve been doing this for 51 years now. I bought my first mares in 1972. I’ve put a fortune into it. I’ve had a lot of success, but for every success I’ve had ten failures. It keeps you humble.”

Chris Waller’s three-year-olds Osipenko, the Hobartville Stakes winner, and last-start Rosehill Guineas winner Lindermann, are sweating on gaining a start in the Doncaster. A last-start winner over 2000m that is down in the weights and racing in good form is always a handy guide to picking a winner in a Randwick mile handicap, and Lindermann fits the bill.