New Zealand import Strathtay has wasted no time in making his mark in Australia, scoring a runaway win at Rosehill on Saturday in his second start for the Chris Waller stable.
A two-time winner from eight races for Matamata trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, the Preferment gelding flew across the Tasman in February. He finished an eye-catching fifth in his Australian debut at Rosehill on June 1, and he returned there second-up on Saturday and made a statement in the A$160,000 James Squire Handicap (2000m).
Strathtay jumped from the inside gate and was ridden by Jay Ford, who took up a midfield position beside the rail.
Ford moved away from the fence coming up to the turn, and he presented Strathtay on the outside of the leading trio at the top of the straight. The four-year-old produced a smart turn of foot in testing Heavy9 ground and shot clear, opening up a winning margin of three and a half lengths.
“I rode this fella first-up the other day and was rapt with how he went,” Ford said. “I came here confident that he’d run really well.
“Most importantly, he settled a lot better today. He obviously handles wet conditions very well, so I think he’s going to have a good winter. He really stretched out and lengthened nicely down the straight today.
“He should have a successful campaign ahead of him. He’s got plenty of stamina.”
Strathtay has now had 10 starts for three wins and a placing, earning A$125,678 for his owner-breeder Iain Bruce.
“He’s a horse going places and he was fantastic today,” Waller’s assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth said.
“Jay had plenty of confidence pre-race today after the feel the horse had given him in his first-up run. His only concern was whether he might pull a little bit, going straight to 2000m second-up, but to his credit the horse performed very well.
“His father Preferment was a fantastic racehorse himself, and he’s obviously put a little bit into this son of his. Hopefully he can go onwards and upwards from here.
“Mr Bruce has been a massive supporter of Chris over the years and he owns this horse outright, so it’s a big win.”
One of 44 winners from 114 runners for Brighthill Farm stallion Preferment, Strathtay is out of the Savoire Vivre mare Miss Remington.
Miss Remington was a placegetter on the racetrack and is a half-sister to the Group Three winner and Gr.1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1400m) fourth placegetter Miss Steele.
Both of Miss Remington’s two foals to race have been winners. Since Strathtay was foaled in the spring of 2019, Miss Remington has had two further matings to Preferment and produced the three-year-old filly Cash Treasure and an unnamed two-year-old colt. She foaled a colt by young Cambridge Stud stallion Sword Of State last spring.
