Racing
The BYD Quokka 2026 Runner Profile – Smooth Chino
One of Western Australia’s most exciting horses in locked in for The Quokka.
Unbeaten in six career starts to date, Smooth Chino has taken all before him in 2025 and will tackle his biggest challenge to date in The BYD Quokka, worth $5 million on April 18th.
Indianna Weinert has done a fantastic job with this four-year-old, who has delivered the young trainer her first two wins at Listed level, taking out the Magic Millions 3yo Trophy (1200m) at Pinjarra, and the Black Heart Bart Stakes (1200m) before a break.
Having been able to reel off rapid late splits to win his first three starts, including coming from near last to win the Magic Millions at his third start, he'd always promised at being a Group level sprinter and has only gone on to solidify that claim.
Off a near-nine month spell leading into his Summer campaign, it didn't take long for Smooth Chino to reach, and improve on his 105 peak rating at Racing & Sports he achieved at Pinjarra.
Now rated 112 courtesy of his win in the Black Heart Bart, where he carried 57.5kg and gave away 4.5kg and a drubbing to second place Cessation, Smooth Chino is poised to go to another level again.
Given the weight he carried last start, there's a case to be made he's already better than the 112-rating assigned, and his progression stacks up very favourably with similar horses to have contested The Quokka in its first two iterations.
Jokers Grin, famed winner of the 2025 Quokka, was rated 104 at Racing & Sports at the same stage of his career, and it was his third preparation where he really flourished, winning The Quokka third-up.
Smooth Chino is likely to follow a similar path through the Group 3 Roma Cup (1100m), the same race Amelia's Jewel won before flying home to just miss Overpass in the inaugural The Quokka in 2023.
Amelia's Jewel was rated 112 after six starts – same as Smooth Chino, and while it only gets harder to improve the higher you go, what Smooth Chino has in his favour is his versatility.
He's come from near last off moderate tempos, to be able to sit in the first three, tracking stronger paces and proving even more effective.
The interstate horses set a strong benchmark - Caballus is rated 118 at Racing & Sports, Gold Rush winner Rey Magnerio 117, so there's no doubt Smooth Chino will have to continue to raise the bar, but his profile says he will.
On what he's done to date, it's fair to say Smooth Chino is the best chance of the local horses, and if things progress the way he's promised, there's every chance he's challenging for favouritism come April 18th at Ascot.
Smooth Chino is a $6 chance in the TABtouch market for The Quokka, with Caballus holding $3.50 favouritism.
About the slot holder: Unibet x Chief Racing
Australian bookmaker Unibet has again teamed up with Sprintcar racing team Chief Racing to secure a slot in The Quokka. Last year, they selected Headwall for Matthew Smith, who went desperately close to knocking off Jokers Grin.
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