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| Staff Writer |
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Graeme Rogerson won a Golden Slipper, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup in five years from 2003 with Polar Success, Savabeel, and Efficient (2007).
Rogerson permanently shuttered his Randwick stable in 2013 because to family issues and moved back to New Zealand to train, but he returns on Saturday to try to win the Gr 1 Spring Champion Stakes with Sharp ‘N' Smart.
“We won a Golden Slipper, a Cox Plate, a Melbourne Cup,” Rogerson said.“We had a good run, but I can’t look back now, I’ve got to look forward and we’ve got some nice horses.”
The self-described "wheeler and dealer" bought Sharp ‘N' Smart as a yearling for $55,000 and entered him in New Zealand's Ready To Run sale, but when he didn't sell, he took him home. In 2012, Rogerson was inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame and became the most successful Kiwi trainer.
“There are not many places I haven’t raced horses around the world. We’ve been lucky, we’ve won races in America, the Middle East, Europe, Germany.We have been everywhere, and we’ve had a lot of success. We have trained over 5000 winners.” He said
Sharp 'N' Smart has the form on the board after a hard-fought victory in his most recent outing, the Gloaming Stakes, and Rogerson is hoping the gelding can move up to the front of the pack in the Spring Champion. The shrewd horseman is always hopeful that Sharp 'N' Smart will win on Saturday, giving the Rogersons their first Australian Gr.1 victory since Shootoff won the 2011 Queensland Derby.