Wexford Stables’ Queensland contingent will receive some reinforcements in the coming weeks following Geriatrix (Almanzor)’s win in the Van Dyk’s 3YO 1400 at Arawa Park on Saturday.
The three-year-old son of Almanzor was on trial to join stablemates Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High) and Tomodachi (NZ) (Tarzino) across the Tasman, and secured his plane ticket with a comfortable 1-3/4 length triumph.
He was taken back early to settle third last for jockey Sam Spratt, who bided her time before asking her charge to improve four-wide from the 500m mark. Turning for home, Geriatrix only had Fashion Icon (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) and Charmer (NZ) (Charm Spirit) before him and he comfortably ranged up alongside his rivals, kicking clear in the concluding stages to record his third career victory form nine starts.
Andrew Scott, who trains the colt in partnership with Lance O’Sullivan, was trackside on Saturday to witness the result and was rapt with the outcome.
“She (Spratt) judged it pretty well,” Scott said. “She took off and had to make a run early, exposed him but he sustained a really nice, long gallop there.
“It was just good to see him quickening away because they didn’t go a real gallop and it’s hard to do that here early in the day with not a lot of speed on. It was a good win.”
Spratt was pleased with the result and said she was comfortable throughout, with her charge proving too classy in the end.
“He jumped pretty well but I thought I would pop him in there behind them, I was happy with where we were,” she said. “There wasn’t a huge amount of speed, that is why I didn’t want to get the rail runners away on me too much on the corner, which they can do here. But he cruised into it and kicked away really easy.
“I thought if we was thereabouts on the corner, he would be pretty hard to run down, which he was, and then he kicked away in the last 200m.”
Scott was pleased to see Geriatrix return to winning form, having finished fifth and seventh respectively in the Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m) and Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) in his last two outings.
“He has shown real glimpses of ability from time-to-time,” he said. “We got a foot problem with him over Christmas- New Year and ducked away for about six weeks with him and reset.
“He has had a good autumn, but he has lacked a lot of luck in the Wellington Guineas and then the Breeders’ a fortnight ago, he was getting off the track and not really seeing the race, but his sectionals have been amazing all season. There is a good bit of ability there.”
Geriatrix will now head to Brisbane where Wexford have highlighted the Gr.3 Fred Best Classic (1400m) and Gr.3 Gunsynd Classic (1600m) as two potential targets next month.
“The team is confident we can take him to Australia,” Scott said. “He would probably need a bit of give over there to bring them back to him a touch so he can really compete, but he is a colt that has handled a long season well, he has got great powers of recovery, and he is a sound colt, so he should go over there and hopefully perform well.”
