Eye Keep Smiling with (from left, Luke McCarthy, Jackie Gibson and Jock Rendall).
The humid Sydney air crackled with a palpable tension, a hum of anticipation that vibrated through the grandstands of Tabcorp Park Menangle. For Jackie Gibson, seated amidst the fervent crowd, the energy was intoxicating, yet tinged with a familiar unease. This was the Len Smith Mile, a Group 1 colossus, and her beloved “Louise,” the mare known to the world as Eye Keep Smiling, was about to step onto a stage where very few mares dared to truly compete – let alone shine.
Jackie’s mind drifted back, not just weeks or months, but years. She pictured the text message, the one Robyn McCarthy, her foaling attendant at Success Stud, had gleefully sent. “Guess which one is yours?” it had read, accompanied by two photos: a handsome colt with striking white markings, and a plain, bay filly. Jackie, ever the pragmatist with a breeder’s specific vision, had scoffed. “Of course, mine was the bay filly.” She’d openly confessed to having “a bit of a sook” that day, yearning for the flashy colt, for the specific aesthetic she’d envisioned for her next champion. Robyn, bless her, had saved that message, a playful, poignant reminder she’d occasionally resent back, especially after each of Louise’s triumphs. The most recent had been after the Queen Elizabeth Group 1 in May, a cheeky, triumphant jab that always made Jackie laugh.
Now, nearly six years later, and with Eye Keep Smiling’s bank balance boasting almost $800,000 from 27 wins in 38 starts, Jackie laughed harder and longer at that initial disappointment. Louise, her “Louise,” had stamped herself as Australasia’s premier pacing mare, a title earned through sheer grit and an almost uncanny ability to defy expectations. Just a few short months ago, in Brisbane, she’d delivered what many considered the performance of the Inter Dominion final night, successfully defending her $150,000 Group 1 Golden Girl crown. She hadn’t just won; she’d made history, becoming the first mare to shatter the 1:50 barrier over 1,660 meters, clocking a blistering 1:49.9 mile rate. And she’d done it the hard way, sitting parked outside the leader, Steno, for the entire journey on a night where every other winner had hugged the rail.
It was after that victory that Luke McCarthy, her seasoned trainer-driver, had uttered the words that still gave Jackie goosebumps: “She’s the best mare I’ve driven.” To hear Luke, who had guided legends like Fleur De Lil, Miracle Mile winner Baby Bling, and even Jackie’s own Our Sixpence, declare Louise superior, was a profound honour. “Exciting and humbling,” Jackie had called it, still reeling from the joy shared with her mum, Mary, on that “girls trip” to Brisbane.
But Saturday night, the stakes felt even higher. The Len Smith Mile was a different battlefield. This was the domain of the kings, the most powerful and fastest stallions and geldings in the country. And Louise, her “Louise,” was about to face them, not from a favourable inside draw, but from the widest possible barrier – gate 10. In harness racing, particularly in a sprint trip, a wide draw was often considered a death sentence. It meant expending precious energy early, covering more ground, battling the natural curvature of the track, all while the horses on the rail saved their strength, waiting for the crucial moment to strike. Jackie felt a familiar knot tighten in her stomach. “She’s not mare-ish, if you know what I mean,” she’d once explained, describing Louise’s robust, masculine racing style. “She’s a big, strong type and races that way. She’s so tough, when you think she’s struggling, she always digs in.” Tonight, Louise would need every ounce of that celebrated toughness. The field moved into position. The crowd hushed, a collective breath held. The gates folded back, and the roar erupted.
From her wide draw, Louise began her dance. Luke, a master strategist, knew the challenge. He guided her, not pushing her immediately to burn out, but allowing her to find her rhythm, to settle in the trailing pack. The pace was ferocious, a blur of hooves and sulkies as the lead horses carved out blistering fractions. This wasn’t just a fast race; it was a record-breaking assault on the clock. Cya Art NZ, who had inherited a coveted inside draw after Catch A Wave’s untimely scratching, was flying, matching strides with Captains Knock. But Louise was not “most horses.” As the field swung into the final turn, Jackie saw it. A familiar surge, a powerful, relentless drive. Luke had found a seam, a whisper of an opening, and Louise responded with every fiber of her being. She began to chew up the ground, her powerful legs pumping, her head low, a picture of pure, unadulterated determination. She wasn’t just gaining; she was storming.
The crowd erupted, their cheers a wave washing over the track. It was no longer just about the leaders. It was about her. The mare, from the back, from the impossible draw, was coming. She ate into the margin, passing horse after horse with a breathtaking display of raw speed and courage.
The wire flashed. Cya Art NZ had won, Captains Knock had held on for second. But then, there she was, Eye Keep Smiling, surging across the line to claim an astonishing third place.
The memory of Jackie’s initial “sook” vanished, replaced by an overwhelming swell of pride, racing, still thriving, still delivering these breathtaking, unexpected moments. And after this performance, after this heroic, against-all-odds third in the Len Smith Mile, Jackie knew one thing for certain: she wouldn’t be having any more “sooks” about plain bay fillies. Not with Louise. Never with Louise.
– Tully Potts