Four-year-old gelding Saltcoats has posted his first victory on Australian soil when coming with a sustained run to land the Coolmore Spelling @ Mount White Handicap (1800m) at Randwick on Saturday.
The Chris Waller-trained son of Ardrossan came from near the rear of the field under Tommy Berry and made a long sustained run to defeat fellow Kiwi-breds So Dazzling and Tavi Time by the best part of a length.
Winner of the Listed Auckland Futurity Stakes (1400m) in May of his juvenile year for original trainer Samantha Logan, the talented galloper was sold across the Tasman and sports the colours of prominent owner Ozzie Kheir. He races for a syndicate with breeder and original sole owner of the horse Lib Petagna retaining a share.
“He has always shown us promise but we didn’t know what to expect today from the draw (13),” Waller said.
“I said to just go back and ride him quietly and hope that he can blend into the race, which he certainly did and he sustained a long run.
“He had a small incident before the start of this preparation which has held him back and it looks like he is in good shape now.”
Sent out a $12 chance, Saltcoats had been a well-beaten tenth first-up on a Good3 track at Kembla Grange.
“It was definitely too firm at Kembla Grange last start, which was disappointing because he was going so well,” winning rider Tommy Berry said.
“I said to my manager that we just need to draw a gate and I think he can win next start. He has just been doing everything right at home and working very well.
“I had in the back of my mind to go forward and Chris said nup – not today, we’ll go back and get a little bit of luck.
“Probably the winning was down the side. There was a three-wide line and I was able to improve into the race still with cover and he is only second-up at 1800m, so he has got a bit of improvement and Chris is taking his time with him, which is dearly needed.
“He is quite a keen going horse and you don’t know what is there until you let him off the bit but he deserved that today.”
Now the winner of two of his 10 starts with a further five placings, Saltcoats was third in the Gr.2 Tulloch Stakes (2000m) won by Wymark back in March.
By promising Waikato Stud stallion Ardrossan, Saltcoats is out of the lightly raced Savabeel mare Savanite, a half-sister to the Gr.2 Waikato Gold Cup (2400m) winner Singing Star, who in turn is the dam of Group Three winner Miss Selby.
A Group One performed half-brother to Incentivise, Ardrossan stands at a fee of $20,000+GST at Waikato Stud.
With just 52 runners to date, Ardrossan has sired seven stakes performers and four stakes winners for good early figures of 7.7% stakes winners to runners.
