Collett family strikes gold at Randwick

[Wandering Eyes]

Super Strike delivered a special and particularly satisfying win at Randwick on Saturday for the expat New Zealand father-son duo of Richard and Jason Collett.

Saturday’s A$150,000 Hitotsu New to Arrowfield Handicap (1800m) was the first win in 17 months for Super Strike, whose last victory came in the Gr.3 Anniversary Handicap (1600m) at Trentham in January of 2021.

The formerly Pukekohe-based trainer Richard Collett has been through some challenging times since then with the talented son of Super Easy, but his patience and hard work have been rewarded in style.

“He had a long time off after hurting himself when he won a Group Three at Trentham in New Zealand,” said Collett, who relocated to Sydney with his family last winter.

“Then we went through the Covid lockdown and we couldn’t race horses, so we had to sit on our hands.

“He came back in during the winter last year and it took us a long time to get him going. This is very satisfying to see him win, he’s a nice horse.”

Saturday’s race was Super Strike’s eighth start in Australia, where in addition to Saturday’s victory he boasts placings at Rosehill and Randwick.

The gelding was given a perfect ride on Saturday by Collett’s son Jason, who settled near the tail of the field before weaving through a narrow opening to find clear air out wide on the track with 350m remaining.

Super Strike took care of the rest, quickening well to finish over the top of fellow New Zealand-bred Mach Schnell and snatch a narrow win.

Jason Collett was delighted to ride a winner for his family’s boutique operation.

“It’s good to see them smiling,” he said. “It’s a team effort, and when you’ve got a small team, every horse counts.

“There were times in the first prep when he showed glimpses of this, but he just couldn’t be consistent, whereas this preparation it has just been a solid base and every run has been good.”

Bred and raced by Janet Hepi, Super Strike is by Hallmark Stud sire Super Easy out of the Stark South mare Southern Touch. From 17 starts, Super Strike has recorded six wins and six placings, earning A$235,101 in prize-money.

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