Name Dropper breaks Sandown record

[Wandering Eyes]

High-flying Kiwi-bred Name Dropper continued his unbeaten summer with a record-breaking victory in Saturday’s A$130,000 Sportsbet Handicap (1400m) at Sandown.

The five-year-old’s time of 1:21.74 broke the Sandown Lakeside record for 1400m, which Group One-winning sprinter Swick set back in 2006 with his time of 1:22.00.

Name Dropper has a fair way to go to match the deeds of that elite performer, but Saturday’s win was his fourth from only eight career starts and took his career earnings to A$225,500.

Trainer Richard Laming has previously tried Name Dropper up to 2040m, but his five starts at 1400m have now produced four wins and a placing, and returning to that trip this summer has reaped rewards. The Tavistock gelding won impressively fresh up at Flemington on January 11, and Saturday brought a repeat result.

Name Dropper broke well from the inside starting gate and showed good early speed, but jockey Dean Yendall was happy for Sassy Boom to move across in front of them and take up the lead.

Name Dropper trailed Sassy Boom up to the home turn, then angled to his outside and began to wear him down. Name Dropper lengthened stride and finished over the top of that rival, pulling away to win by three-quarters of a length from the fast-finishing Impending Link.

“I just popped out when I wanted to in the straight, and the horse has done a very good job to kick on,” Yendall said. “It’s a long way up that straight, but it was a very tough effort today. I think there’s a lot more in store for him, especially if he can get up to the mile and open up a few more options there.”

Laming has been pleased to see Name Dropper start to deliver on his potential in this campaign.

“Second-up was my worry today, but I’m pleased he’s put that to bed,” he said. “He’s always shown lots of promise. We’ve had to wait for him, and now he’s repaying us and has a bright future in front of him.

“He’s bred to stay, which we’ve tried to do with him in previous campaigns. But it’s obvious now that he’s better over these shorter trips. We’ll keep him fresh and race him over 1400m to the mile.

“Horses that roll along like he does make their own luck. They’re always going to be hard to run down when they get their own way.”

Bred by Gene Tsoi’s Standard 2080 Ltd, Name Dropper is by the late Tavistock out of the O’Reilly mare Mandy O’Reilly, whose three winners from four foals to race include the Group Three-placed Miss Mandito. Mandy O’Reilly is a half-sister to the stakes performers and black-type producers Dating and Miracle Miss.

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