Saltcoats goes back-to-back

[Wandering Eyes]

Former stakes-winning New Zealand two-year-old Saltcoats has hit his groove in Australia, completing a winning double with a stylish performance in Saturday’s A$160,000 TAB Handicap (2000m) at Randwick.

The son of Waikato Stud stallion Ardrossan began his career in the Cambridge stable of Samantha Logan, where his three New Zealand starts produced a win in the Listed Auckland Futurity Stakes (1400m) and a placing in the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre 2YO Stakes (1200m). He was subsequently sold to a syndicate headed by prominent Australian owner Ozzie Kheir, with breeder Lib Petagna retaining a share of the ownership.

Saltcoats went winless in his first six starts in Australia, but placed in three of them including a third in the Gr.2 Tulloch Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill in March.

The four-year-old broke through with a minor upset in a 1400m Benchmark 88 at Randwick on December 14, and he was sent out as a $2.60 favourite on Saturday to deliver a repeat result over 2000m.

Saltcoats duly delivered and became the fourth winner on the Randwick card for jockey Nash Rawiller, who produced a confident ride on the gelding from an inside gate. He settled in seventh and moved away from the fence well before the home turn, presenting his mount out wide on the track at the top of the straight.

Saltcoats moved through his gears and accelerated, bursting into contention at the 200m mark and asserting his superiority in the closing stages to win by just over a length.

“He’s a nice horse,” Rawiller said. “If he keeps going around in these races for a while longer and getting his rating up a bit more, I think there’ll be a Group race in him a bit further down the track. Even a race like the Caulfield Cup (Gr.1, 2400m) could be something they could aim at with him next spring. I think he’s got a lot of upside.”

Now trained by Chris Waller, Saltcoats has had 11 starts for three wins, five placings and A$292,790 in stakes.

“I think he’s a horse that’s turned a corner,” Waller said. “He got some confidence from his good win last start.

“Nash rode him perfectly today – as confident as you’ll ever see a jockey riding. He popped out at the 1000m to take risk out of the equation, and the horse was too strong.”

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.

Saltcoats has continued an outstanding week for Ardrossan, who stands for a service fee of $20,000 at Waikato Stud. His promising three-year-old son Yaldi captured the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, followed by a notable Australian double for the stallion on Saturday afternoon. A few hours before Saltcoats’ success in Sydney, potential Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) contender Beau Dazzler scored an emphatic win in the A$160,000 Eagle Way (2100m) at Eagle Farm. He has now won three of his 12 starts, including black-type successes in last season’s Listed Phelan Ready (1000m) as well as the Gr.3 Grand Prix Stakes (1800m) earlier this month.

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