High hopes for Deadly and Fast in Albany Cup tilt as trainer Alan Smith looks to fulfil ‘lifelong dream’

Albany trainer Alan Smith has high hopes for Deadly And Fast ahead of Sunday’s Albany Community Cup, 20 years on from the Smith training stable’s last cup winner. His family horse Gimmie The News won the feature race back in 2006 and Smith is now trying to emulate that feat two decades on. Seven-year-old gelding Deadly And Fast has won three of his last four starts, most recently the Western Racepix Handicap in Albany on March 19 with Lisa Staples aboard. Smith has enjoyed a terrific 2025-26 season, with Makin Prophets, Deadly And Fast and Dynamite Bay all notching wins at regional tracks. Experienced hoop Staples will be back aboard Deadly and Fast for the $125,000 Albany Community Cup (2100m), after riding the gelding in his last three starts with wins in the last two, including the Mt Barker Cup. Smith said the pair had been working well together, but the Albany Cup would be their first big test. “They’ve been going really well together, the horse had had a great start to the season, but this will be the biggest step up for him so far,” he said. “We had some problems with him last year, but he’s had a trouble free run so far this season and he’s proving to be a good runner. “He’s still got a lot of ground to cover, a lot of learning to do, but hopefully he can find his way on Sunday and bring us home a win.” A field of 20 nominations were received for the cup including some local favourites like the Steve Wolfe-trained River Rubicon, who had a fourth-place run in the Pinjarra Cup last month, and Ashleigh Woollett’s What A Prince, who ran second in the Albany Cup last year. However, Smith said some of the runners travelling from Perth including True Player, trained by Grant and Alana Williams and ridden by last year’s cup winning jockey Lucy Fiore, and the Jason Miller-trained Rocking Society, will be hard to beat. This year will mark 20 years since a horse from the Smith stable won the prestigious cup, with Gimme The News taking out the 2006 edition not long after his father Kevin passed away. The horse ran under trainer Gerry Hughes name when going on to cup glory. Smith said he hoped Deadly And Fast, who is bred from the same bloodline as Gimme The News, would bring some of the old magic back on Sunday. “It’s been a lifelong dream to win the Albany Cup,” he said. “My dad had a few winners and I’ve bred and owned a few winners as well, but it’s been 20 years since we had a win from our training stable,” Smith said. “This horse is related to Gimme The News, so he’s loves the run and he loves the distance, he’s got it in his blood, so we just hope he can turn it on, on Sunday.” Albany rider Tash Faithfull will partner Outspoken Lad from the Daniel and Ben Pearce stable, Dennis Choux will start for trainer David Harrison and local trainer Indianna Weinert will run Mister Popcorn. The Albany Community Cup will be run at Albany’s Percy Spencer Racecourse on Easter Sunday as part of an eight-race card.