(Rod Gallegos is a senior commentator with Sky Racing and Sky Sports Radio.) 

The barrier scratching of Smart Missile last weekend might still may rankle with some, but it really was the only justifiable decision that the official veterinarian could make.

The colt got his foreleg straddled over a barrier partition, so no amount of behind-the-barrier trotting would determine whether he had suffered any problems.

And imagine the ruckus if Smart Missile was allowed to run and, as a well-backed runner, finished unplaced. Even worse, what would be the reaction if he had broken down in the run?

The strange, but probably understandable, sidelight to the Golden Slipper was that no one seemed to voice any concern about Fast And Sexy, a 100/1 chance, also being taken out by the vet.

I didn't back Smart Missile but even if I had, I would have been happier to get my money back than see the horse run and perform dismally.

By the way, I have always held this view. It sometimes irks me when a horse is troublesome in the barrier and then, after a rather leisurely trot without its rider, it is passed fit to start.

There is an old racing adage - if you can't win, you can't lose.

Having said all of that, the supporters of Smart Missile get their chance for compensation in the Sires Produce Stakes on Saturday. The unbeaten colt is coming off a win over Sepoy and Foxwedge in the Todman Stakes which is a pretty sound form line. 

***** 

ONLY eight fillies have won the AJC Derby in the past 149 years which is hardly an encouraging sign for the equine females on Saturday at Randwick.

However, it has to be considered that, numerically, fillies have not been heavily represented and it has generally been  the domain of colts and geldings.

The lone filly figure on Saturday is the Danny O'Brien-trained Shamrocker. She has sound credentials as a potential stayer having finished second to Brazilian Pulse in the VRC Oaks at Flemington during the spring.

Since having resumed for her current campaign, she has had three runs including a win in the 1600-metre Australian Guineas at Flemington on March 5 and then a solid third to Jimmy Choux and Retrieve in the 2000-metre Rosehill Guineas a fortnight ago.

Mind you, the hot favourite, Jimmy Choux, is a New Zealand Derby winner on March 5 and underlined his promise with a fast-finishing win in the Rosehill Guineas.

Will it be another case of a good colt beating a good filly? Being stridently averse to taking short odds, which rules out Jimmy Choux for me, I will have to have something on the filly instead.

***** 

EVEN a cynical old bloke like me can't find, and, in fact, I don't want to consider a reason for Black Caviar being beaten in the TJ Smith Stakes on Saturday.

All sports yearn for a superstar. And even though descriptions of champion, superstar and so on are sometimes bandied about willy-nilly in sport, Black Caviar clearly has earned all of the adulation.

Not only has she won at her only 11 starts - most in top-draw events - but the manner in which she scored was scintillating.

Racegoers should consider it a privilege to be at Randwick.

***** 

MY liking for staying races has been well documented and, consequently, I intend to have a bet in the 2600-metre Chairman's Handicap. My fancy is the Chris Waller-trained Stand To Gain.

In a 20-start career, Stand To Gain has had four wins - two at 2400 metres and two at 2500 metres.

Waller has a deft knack of training all types of horses but he seems to have a particular talent in distance races and this five-year-old gelding looks a ‘dyed in the wool' stayer.

The double figure price on TAB Fixed Odds appeals as a substantial gain to me.