Cox Plate hero Cosmic Crusader was not the only horse with WA connections in the limelight at Flemington on Saturday with exciting sprinter Smooth Chino proving well up to Eastern States company earning a crack at the G1 Champions Sprint on the last day of the Flemington carnival.
The son of WA stud stalwart Maschino sprung a surprise win to take the G2 McEwen Stakes (1200m) for the West Aussies in a curtain raiser to Cosmic Crusader's historic Cox Plate triumph!
Five year old Smooth Chino and Austin Galati produced a powerful finish to overhaul the tough warhorse Mazu ( Maurice) by a nose, with favourite Extragalactic (Deep Field) a close up third in a thrilling finish to the day's main sprint feature.
The bookies immediately slashed Smooth Chino's odds for the Champions Sprint on 7th November from $51 into $12.
Sent out at $8.50 for the McEwen - despite excuses for his narrow last start defeat in the G2 Gilgai Stakes - Smooth Chino posted the best win of his career for trainer Indianna Weinert, who recently relocated to Gawler in South Australia from WA.
Smooth Chino won his first six starts in Western Australia and placed in the G3 Roma Cup and Belmont Sprint, as well as winning the G3 Northam Stakes, before the stable's move across the Nullabor.
Smooth Chino's McEwen Stakes victory advances his record to 8 wins and 4 placings from 13 starts for earnings of more than $900,000.
For an emotional Weinert, to win a stakes race on Cox Plate day with her beloved gelding was almost too good to be true!
SMOOTH CHINO....JUST ?? Indianna Weinert and Austin Galati score their biggest career wins in the McEwen Stakes! The unbeaten run of Jigsaw finishes at 8 ?? https://t.co/4vJZlZ7mMk
— 7HorseRacing ?? (@7horseracing) October 24, 2026
“I cannot believe it. I took the punt to buy a horse that I didn’t even have the money to pay for him on the day….and what he has done for me is change my life,” she told the media at Flemington.
“Moving east has definitely helped the horse, and me,” she said.
“He needs to be over this way. In WA he was going to be out of his class there and here he seems to fit in very well.”
Weinert paid tribute to Smooth Chino’s jockey Austin Galati, who retained the ride despite criticism following a mistake at the horse’s previous run.
“You only make that mistake once.. I’ve stuck by Austin. I’ve believed in him.”
“He’s ridden this horse to eight wins now, so they’re a great team.”
Weinert said the stable will monitor the gelding closely before finalising plans for the Champions Sprint.
“Depending on how he pulls up,” said the trainer. “ We definitely would give a Group One a shot!”
Young hoop on the rise Galati was grateful to connections for sticking solid and giving him the opportunity to claim the biggest win of his career to date.
“Thanks so much to Indi and the owners for keeping me on,” he said.
“Especially after last time with the hiccup with the winning post, but we found it today.”
“I couldn’t be prouder of the horse and what an amazing team effort.
“For Indi, her second starter at Flemington, something like this is everything for us.”
Galati was asked about Smooth Chino’s pre- race quirks which saw him drift in the betting.
“He has always been like that and it doesn’t worry me. He’s a bit quirky but he’s an amazing horse.”
Smooth Chino is flying the flag for his WA sire Maschino with distinction!
He became the tenth of eleven stakes winner for Alwyn Park Stud's popular son of Encosta De Lago when he broke through for his first black type success in the Listed Black Heart Bart Stakes at Ascot in December last year, to remain undefeated in six career starts.
Maschino has also been represented with distinction by daughter Machine Gun Gracie in the eastern states.
Indianna Weinert paid just $40,000 to secure her dream horse at the 2023 Perth Magic Millions Sale from the Mogumber Park draft.
Before becoming a trainer in 2021, Indianna was an aspiring jockey and rode in around 70 trials for the Doug Harrison stable, but like so many talented riders she struggled with weight - and her racing dream took a new turn.
Smooth Chino was bred by K and M Reilly and S Dunn from the unraced Amorei, a daughter of the very good WA sire Gingerbread Man (Shamardal).
He was the second foal from the mare, who first produced gelding Morerock (Awesome Rock) in 2019 who raced only once, and her third foal, a filly by Snitzel son Bondi sold for $26,000 to David Kelly from the Mogumber Park draft at the 2024 Perth Magic Millions.
Amorei's 2022 filly by Rommel is yet to race and after being given a year off from breeding the mare produced another Bondi filly in 2024.
Amorei produced a full sister to Smooth Chino this spring!
Her dam Moreish by the great More Than Ready was top class, and dominated the three year old fillies of her generation with wins in the Listed Natasha / Ascot 1000 Guineas before taking the 2013 G3 WATC Oaks.
Moreish was the only foal bred by Gerry Harvey from his Danehill daughter Pink City in Australia before she was exported to NZ.
Her dam was the talented dual G2 winner stakes My Sienna by the under rated Marscay son Weasel Clause.
Pink City's half sister Piazza Del Campo (General Nediym) produced the dual Listed winning speedster Palazzo Publico by the unfashionable Conatus, and she in turn has been a multiple black type producer.
Their dam was Etruscan (Opera Prince), was stakes placed in Tasmania and dam of eight winners with My Siena her standout while another daughter became dam of the Tassie stakes winning filly Rustia (Savoire Vivre).
This female line goes back to the Irish bred mare Fair Rosaleen by the minor Native Dancer son Hul A Hul (USA), out of the Red God daughter Pagan Slipper, a half sister to the champion UK sprinter Boldboy and to Dawn Echo, who became the dam of successful Australasian stallion Prince Echo.
Smooth Chino's ancestress Eastern Echo was a full sister to the ancestress of champion sire Major Portion.
This family is a branch of 8c (taproot Violet from Woodbine ) to which belong Last Tycoon, Storm Cat, Crafty Admiral, Fusaichi Pegasus, Assert, Be My Guest, Celtic Swing, Royal Academy and Red God to name but a few plus Le Havre, Uncle Mo, Polar Falcon and American Pharoah.
His Majesty and Storm Cat appear in Smooth Chino’s pedigree while Blushing Groom's sire Red God is a linebreeding subject.
Smooth Chino is bred
Danehill 4m x 4f sex balanced
Blue Hen Dancing Show 5f x 5m sex balanced
Yet another spectacular example of inbreeding the Best In Show family!
His pedigree boasts a multitude of sex balanced lines to Almahmoud daughters Natalma and Cosmah and to Natalma's sire Native Dancer, boosted by many duplications of their fellow matriarchs La Troienne and Myrtlewood.
A major key to Smooth Chino's speed is Maschino's line to the elite Star Kingdom daughter Ritmar, who foaled his third damsire Taipan.
She sex balances the many male lines of Star Kingdom his pedigree carries.
Maschino stands at Alwyn Park Stud in Serpentine on a fee of $13,750.
