Spotlight On: The Smith Family

What’s the old saying, make hay while the sun shines? Well, the Smith family from Redcliffe is doing just that.

Most around the traps are aware of young Zac Smith, an enthusiastic and eager to please harness racing tragic who regularly helps a lot of stables on race day/night.

Zac, 15, a graduate of the mini-trotting ranks, lives and breathes the harness sport and one day aspires to be a professional trainer/driver in time to come.

Late last year, he gained a perfect opportunity to hone his skills even further when Bathurst horseman Chris Frisby gifted him his first horse, Well Said Nugget.

Smith has regularly assisted Frisby during his frequent trips to Brisbane and the youngster couldn’t reach his parents and grandmother quick enough.

“Can I have a horse? Chris Frisby has offered me Well Said Nugget,” his father, Aaron, recalled Zac saying.

Aaron made a phone call to his mother Aileen and asked if there was room for another horse in the stables, and then Zac had to have a discussion with his grandmother to secure his first horse.

Frisby said the owners were keen to move him on and he wasn’t keen in taking him back to Bathurst, so the offer was made to Smith sensing he would be an ideal horse to start doing his trial driving.

Well Said Nugget, a six-year-old gelded son of Well Said from Say Yes Josephine (by Jet Laag), had amassed four lifetime victories from about 45 starts before being given away.

His career victories came via Kilmore, Swan Hill, Penrith and Albion Park.

Zac, the eldest son of Aaron and Michelle, has an unbreakable bond with his grandmother but knew he had to make his pitch absolutely perfect to secure his first horse.

“He was very convincing during our discussion, but I know how much he loves being around the horses. From the moment he could walk he was always at the stables and spending time with the horses,” Aileen explained.

“I’ve got some wonderful memories of Zac as a toddler with the horses. We have taken some great photos of when he used to jump in the lap of his father when he would be getting ready to take a horse to the track. His love of the horses has never changed; even to this day, he’s absolutely infatuated by them.”

Based on Knight Street and preparing their team of pacers on track since the 1970s, the proud harness racing family is steeped in history with standardbreds starting with Cliff Gassman and then via his daughter Aileen Smith and then her son Aaron and now his boys Zac, Daniel and Connor.

Don Boldery is another key member of the Smith team.

Aileen, a Group 1-winning trainer, only prepares a small team but is rarely without a handy type and names like Jiggle And Jive (eight wins), Just Joshin (14 wins), Vanto Hanover (14 wins), Justaregularguy (10 wins), Idontneedluck (12 wins), The Formula One (seven wins) and Rockstar Rikki (eight wins) among others readily spring to mind.

Jiggle And Jive, a richly talented daughter of super sire Bettors Delight scored in the 2019 QBRED Triad 2yo Fillies Final at Albion Park with Nathan Dawson driving and the scenes that night were of pure joy.

To say that victory was popular would be a massive understatement, and leading the cheer squad was none other than young Zac. He was beyond proud of the filly but more so, his grandmother.

“We all loved that filly. She was something special, but Zac and Mum enjoyed bonding with her more than anything else. They would always be talking about her, and Zac would be asking all sorts of questions,” Aaron said.

“Looking back, I’m sure that victory only whetted his appetite even more for the game. He thrives on helping anyone he can at Redcliffe on race nights and that’s continued to Albion Park when he can get there. Zac and young Luke Thirgood are always talking horses.

“Donny and Maureen (Smith – no relation) are based next door while Greg Franklin is a few doors down and Zac is always keen to help where he can. There’s not many that he hasn’t helped at the race meetings. He enjoys helping Lola (Weidemann) with her team of horses.”

Zac is currently in Year 10 at Southern Cross Catholic College, formerly known as De La Salle College, at Scarborough. He enjoys school but prefers working and being around the horses.

“He could apply himself better, like most teenage boys, but his heart is with the horses,” his mum Michelle said.

“With some convincing, he’s up early and helping down at the stables before being readied for school. I’ve spoken to the school and even Racing Queensland about opportunities with traineeships, so we’re keen to find out more information. We’ll look at all options.”

Zac has been part of the mini trot system since he was eight years old and has graduated to driving trackwork on the racehorses, but his watchful grandmother believes there’s some way to go.

“He sits in well, but we’ve just got to work on the timing. He’s making great inroads, you never stop learning in this caper, and he’ll pick it up before long,” Aileen said.

“It’s all about repetition. The more experience, the better you become.”

When Well Said Nugget made his debut for the Smith family at Redcliffe on Boxing Day, the handy performer finished an excellent second behind Jet Force after sitting in the trail throughout.

His maiden victory for the stable came via his fourth stable when successful at Redcliffe on January 22, after starting from the inside of the second line, Well Said Nugget and driver Adam Richardson quickly worked away from them inside but was last with a lap left to run.

In the home straight, he picked up the leader Our Uncle Les very quickly and scored convincingly in a time of 1:59.0 for the 1780m.

“Naturally, we were all very excited but watching Zac was joyous. He was so proud. He did everything with the horse before and after the race,” Aileen said.

“Chris Frisby was the first person on the phone straight after the race. He was so pleased for Zac.”

Well Said Nugget scored again at Redcliffe two starts later on February 4, and again, Frisby was the first to congratulate them.

Zac has timed it well. His first couple of starts came while he was on school holidays while the most recent victory came via the opening race on the Wednesday night, well after school had finished for the day.

Well Said Nugget, well done young Zac Smith.