Barbados, the first foal of former top sprinter Virage De Fortune, has started to fulfil his potential with a maiden success at Canterbury on Wednesday.
The three-year-old colt by Redoute’s Choice was resuming for just his second start and led all the way in Wednesday’s Styletread.com.au Plate (1100m) to defeat Written Consent by 1-1/4-lengths with I Get Around third.
Barbados is raced by Sheikh Mohammed whose racing and breeding operation Darley purchased Virage De Fortune for $3.4 million in 2007, a then-Australian record for a broodmare at auction.
Before being sold to Darley, Virage De Fortune notched eight wins from 21 starts including two victories at Group One level.
Jockey Kerrin McEvoy said Barbados, who started the $1.90 favourite, would only continue to improve with experience.
“He’s a nice big horse and is still learning,” McEvoy said.
“He has nice ability. He set a nice tempo there in front today and kept going right to the line.
“The more runs he has the better he is going to get.
“Whether he’s up to stakes class or not, we’ll find out. But it’s only early doors yet.”
Trainer Peter Snowden’s stable foreman Brad Widdup said the colt had improved mentally since his debut in July when he did a lot wrong and finished second to stablemate Bello.
“Peter has worked hard on educating him and this time in he’s a different horse. He’s more relaxed,” Widdup said.
“It was also good to see him kick in the straight when a horse came to him. It shows he’s got a bit of ticker too.”
McEvoy and Snowden combined again to win the last race with Rampart, while the Noel Mayfield-Smith-trained three-year-old Famous Seamus made it two wins from as many starts when he led all the way in the Luskin Park De La Salle ’61 Reunion Handicap (1250m).
“He’s an exciting horse and runs very good times on the track,” Mayfield-Smith said.
“He’s always shown something from day one. He’s got a good turn of foot and will be better ridden with a sit.”
Famous Seamus ($7) was ridden by Robyn Freeman-Key who made the most of her opportunity in town as the gelding defeated favourite Flying Zero ($3.80) by half a neck with another 2-1/4-lengths to Daymo ($8).
“I haven’t had a winner in town for a long time. I love this horse, he’s a real trier,” Freeman-Key said.
AAP TURF
