Taken makes winning return

[Wandering Eyes]

Promising New Zealand-bred galloper Taken (NZ) (Ardrossan) won four races in a row to close out his last campaign, and he picked up where he left off with a first-up victory at Caulfield on Saturday.

The A$130,000 RM Williams Handicap (1400m) was Taken’s first raceday appearance since June, and he finished second at Cranbourne on October 20 in his only preparatory trial.

Ridden by Ethan Brown for trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr, the four-year-old dug deep in the straight despite a tiring three-wide run, snatching victory by a short half-head.

“Great training performance – first-up, one trial,” Brown said. “Three-wide, and it is never easy to sit three-deep first-up, so there are signs of a very nice horse.

“He was well and truly entitled to be found wanting, but he dug deep and he was a winner.

“He’ll get a mile at least and maybe further. A bit more work and he’ll be running out a mile.”

Taken has now had 10 starts for five wins, five placings and A$381,860 in stakes, and he is pleasing his trainers with his progress through the grades.

“Very good,” Kent said. “Underdone, only had one trial, so we were concerned with fitness, and then he got close to three-wide, four-wide, so a very good win.

“He’s an unassuming customer. We were worried early on as to whether he would get a strong 1400m, but he just keeps strengthening, and to improve from three to four, you need to bulk up, and he definitely has.

“We knew he was going super, just with all the rain he missed a trial. They don’t usually win off one trial, but he’s a nice horse.

“He’s had a faultless campaign, really. The ceiling’s untapped. He likes a mile better, I think. Very good start to his preparation.

“No real plans, just to go through the ratings. I think he’ll probably go 1400m next start and then go a mile third up, but there’s no real plans for him.”

Originally prepared in New Zealand by Sam Mynott, Taken was sold to the Price-Kent stable following a trial win at Tauranga.

By Waikato Stud’s emerging young sire Ardrossan, Taken is out of the Henrythenavigator mare Katherine Wright (NZ) and stems from the same family as Ardrossan’s Group Three winner Beau Dazzler (NZ).

Taken was bred by the Dewar Partnership, which was put together to support Ardrossan when he launched at stud by some people who raced the Group One-performed son of Redoute’s Choice.

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