Hold That Smile has been an enduring influence since being named Western Australia’s Horse of the Year in 1989.

The Heytesbury Stud homebred remains the only two year-old filly to win that award following an unbeaten run that included a G1 victory in the Karrakatta Plate.

Hold That Smile is the second-dam of stakes winning Sunspeed stallions Oratorio (Stravinsky), Discorsi (Galileo) and outstanding sprinter Sea Siren who claimed the G1 Doomben 10,000 – BTC Cup double during the Brisbane winter carnival.

Brisbane is also home to Hold That Smile’s last foal Solebid who has won four races this year.

Solebid (4g All Bar One – Hold That Smile by Haulpak) has earned a reputation as the ‘wild child’ of Eagle Farm.  The only saving grace for the Craig Cousins trained gelding is that he has inherited a fair amount of the family’s ability.

“He can go off like a firecracker if something upsets him,” Cousins explained.  “Saddling him up can be a difficult operation in itself.”

Solebid wears earmuffs and winkers and still gets quite fizzy.  “The other morning at the track we took the earmuffs off and a train came past.  He went bananas!”

Cousins trains him for a syndicate headed by Michael Dunne who bought him for $18,000 at the 2010 Magic Millions Gold Coast QTIS Sale.  The gelding won at the Sunshine Coast and Ipswich earlier this year and then doubled up at Doomben during his latest campaign.

The Holmes a Court family sold Hold That Smile to Queensland based breeder Peter Moran in the 1990s and she changed hands again at the 2004 Magic Millions National Sale.

Ellendale Stud owner Leigh Lord bought her for $23,000 when Moran reduced his bloodstock portfolio at Noble Park.  “She was getting on and I only got one other foal from her besides Solebid,” Lord recalled.  “That was a Taimazov filly but I found her dead in a paddock when she was only six weeks old.  I’m still grieving that one!

“Solebid was conceived during the EI lockdown in Queensland.  Oaklands was the only stud within range so we put her to All Bar One.

“Hold That Smile eventually suffered a pelvic injury,” Lord recalled.  “She was 24 by then and we had no option but to put her down.”

Sea Siren (Fastnet Rock) can deliver another Group 1 for the family when she resumes in the G1 Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley on October 26.

– Karl Patterson

SOLEBID
Son of Hold That Smile wins in Brisbane