11-08-2025
Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou to saddle up Cheeky Smirk at Hawkesbury on Tuesday
The colours worn by a horse famous for 'almost' beating Winx will be on show at Hawkesbury on Tuesday when Cheeky Smirk aims for back-to-back wins to open his career.
A Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou -trained son of All Too Hard, Cheeky Smirk was bred by Laing Racing whose white and tartan silks were previously worn by one of Ryan's most notable stalwarts.
'They've been in a few horses but Cheeky Smirk was the first winner to race in their colours since Red Excitement,'' Ryan explained.
A $32,500 yearling who won $1.2 million, Red Excitement is best remembered for almost running the great Winx off her feet in the 2017 Chelmsford Stakes.
'He got a long way in front that day and people said he went too hard but when you looked at the sectionals, he never did, the others in the field backed off him,'' Ryan recalled.
That was brilliant!
Winx comes with a barnstorming finish to record her 19th successive win in the G2 Chelmsford Stakes! #GoWinx
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 2, 2017
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As for Cheeky Smirk, he came from near last at the turn, weaving his way through the pack, to win by the best part of two-lengths when he made his debut in a Hawkesbury 1100m Maiden on July 20.
'We thought he would go there and run well,'' Ryan said. 'We expected him to run top three and he got a bit further back than I thought he would be but he finished off terrific.'
Ryan and co-trainer Sterling Alexiou saddle-up the well-bred Cosmic Eagle in the Blakes Marine Maiden Handicap (1100m) at what will be the daughter of Deep Field's third start.
'She was good first-up in a 900m race, finished off well, and probably was on the worst part of the track at Muswellbrook but ran well,'' Ryan said.
'She took a little while to get over it, that's why she hasn't raced for a while, but she seems bright and well and good in herself.'
Meanwhile, there will be no Hillier for the Ryan/Alexiou camp's Harry's Evidence to contend with this time when the last start Newcastle runner-up contests the opener on the seven-event card.
'Hillier went to Melbourne and franked the form when it ran second down there,' Ryan said.
'I think Hillier is not a bad horse. He ran in all the good races and was well-found.
'Harry's Evidence raced a bit erratically so we have taken the winkers off him and put a crossover noseband on him and it seems to be helping him heaps.'
