Highway birthday for Weir

She’s no stranger to winning a Highway and rider Mikayla Weir got the job done again at Rosehill Gardens aboard the Brett Thompson-prepared Smart And Dapper ($16).

The Smart Missile progeny had a fairly tough run in transit but was still too strong for outsider Fear The Knight ($31) by a head on the line. Tai Lung ($10) was a further length and three quarters back in third place, but was never likely.

To make things even sweeter, Weir was celebrating her 30th birthday.

Trainer and jockey did have pre-race tactics prior to the 1100m contest, but they went out the door as soon as they left the machine.

“The plan was to lead but we couldn’t, he was too slow away,” Weir lamented.

“So I had to opt to come back and try and find a bit of cover momentarily, but you just can’t fight him.

“He’s the type of horse that you just have to let him be.

“So I just let him travel around the outside of them and put himself into the race and he was strong late.”

At start number 13, the win brought up the fourth of Smart And Dapper’s career and takes his earnings over the $115,000 mark.

Trainer Thompson was confident his four-year-old would be competitive for today’s affair and will weigh up his options once the dust settles on this victory.

“He travelled well, he settled in last night really well,” Thompson said.

“He can gallop this horse, it’s just he does a few things wrong missing the start and gets back.

“Even today he sat three-deep, he didn’t really have any cover and he was strong late.