Hall of Fame jockey Jimmy Cassidy has emerged as the surprise ally for lifelong friend and trainer Graeme Rogerson in his latest pursuit of group 1 success.
Rogerson will start Sharp ‘N’ Smart in the Spring Champion Stakes on Saturday at Royal Randwick – and the New Zealand training legend is taking comfort from knowing his old mate Cassidy has been on the ground with his horse every day while he is stabled at Randwick.
Unlikely ally: Jimmy Cassidy has kept a close eye on Sharp ‘N’ Smart for his good mate Graeme Rogerson.Credit:Louise Kennerley/SMH
For the past two years, Cassidy has been weighing up whether to move into training horses, and worked with Jim and Greg Lee most mornings to get a feel for the caper.
While the man known as “The Pumper” says he is likely to shelve any training plans once and for all after Christmas, he welcomed the chance to spend time with a top-quality three-year-old like Sharp ‘N’ Smart, which he thinks can “be a superstar”.
Rogerson and Cassidy have known each other nearly 50 years and Cassidy would love nothing more than to play his little role in trying to help the trainer win his first group 1 on Australian soil since 2011. Scarlett Lady was the last horse to win a major for Rogerson in Australia, which also doubled as jockey James McDonald’s first-ever group 1 success on this side of the Tasman.
“I’m just a caretaker,” a modest Cassidy said of his role helping prepare Sharp ‘N’ Smart. “I give him a walk in the morning and a brush when he’s finished. My part has been minimal. [Trackwork rider] Shannon Doyle has done all the work. I just make sure I report back to the ‘boss’.
Team Rogerson: Jimmy Cassidy, Shannon Doyle and Sharp ‘N’ Smart at Randwick this week.Credit:Louise Kennerley/SMH
“I haven’t been on a horse since I retired at Flemington but, geez, it would be nice to throw a leg over this bloke. He’s a lovely big horse. I think he’s a superstar, and whatever he does next prep he’ll be better again.
“I started with ‘Rogey’ in 1976, I was only young, and if it wasn’t for Graeme, I wouldn’t have won a New Zealand premiership. He’s a wonderful horse trainer and a great friend.
“It’s nice to have his horse here. He was flat out finding some stables, and Jim and Greg put one out so they could have Graeme’s horse here.”
Sharp ‘N’ Smart dug deep to win the Gloaming Stakes last start and Cassidy said the fact the race was pushed back a few days because of Sydney’s big wet was a blessing as the bog track would have flattened a few of the three-year-olds later on this spring.
He could not believe how good Sharp ‘N’ Smart looked after his main piece of work on Tuesday.
Doyle, 41, could not believe his own luck when he arrived in Sydney to spend time with a talented horse but also his childhood idol.
“Jimmy has always been someone I’ve looked up to, and I was a bit stargazed a few mornings working here with him at the stables,” Doyle said.
“I was apprenticed to Mr Rogerson back in the day, and he gave me my first ride in a group 1 back in New Zealand. I couldn’t have been happier with the horse’s work on Tuesday. He’s come on since the Gloaming, and that run topped him off nicely.”
Sharp ‘N’ Smart will push on to the Victoria Derby next Saturday, return home, tackle some decent Kiwi races, including the Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m), then target the Sydney autumn and the rich races like the Australian Derby and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Cassidy has several other commitments, including a role with bookmakers Ladbrokes, which will keep him in Melbourne on Saturday, meaning he will be forced to watch Sharp ‘N’ Smart on a TV at Moonee Valley.
Those extra commitments, as well as the chance to spend vital time with family, are the simple reasons Cassidy will bin a training career.
“I’ve been having a go for two years, just learning the tricks of the trade from Jim and Greg, as well as Neville Voigt,” Cassidy said.
“It’s been a good experience, but it’s also very time consuming, and you have to be here 24-7 with the horses, which I find hard with my Ladbrokes work.
“I’ve been coming in nearly every day the last two years. It’s been a good challenge. I did the riding for nearly 40 years. It’s time to sit back and relax now.
“I was very keen to train, but I’d like to spend more time with [wife] Vicki and [daughters] Piper and Sarsha now, while Nicole and [son-in-law] Zac [Purton] will come home eventually.”
As for Sharp ‘N’ Smart winning the Spring Champion, Cassidy said only: He’s cherry ripe and what beats him will win.”
