Promising three-year-old Fat Al continued his rise up the ladder with a commanding victory in the Group Three Carbine Club Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.
Trainer Gai Waterhouse and premier jockey Nash Rawiller struck early on Australian Derby day as Fat Al ($2.30 fav) sprinted clear in the straight to take out the 1600m event by two lengths over Now You Know ($9), with another three-quarters of a length to Galah ($4.40) in third.
The victory, Fat Al’s first at stakes level, earned the gelding a shot at the Group Three Frank Packer Plate over 2000m in two weeks and also a trip to Queensland for the winter carnival.
“I think he just paid his fare (to Queensland),” Waterhouse said.
Rawiller had the son of Al Maher stalking the leader Now You Know during the race before allowing the gelding to stride up and challenge after getting over the rise at the top of the straight.
Fat Al raced up to hit the front passing the 200-metre mark and was strong to the line to notch his fourth win from just six starts.
“He’s a very good horse,” Waterhouse said.
“He toyed with them. He sat second and when Nash pressed the ‘go fast’ button he just did exactly that.
“I love the way he just cruised to the lead and won effortlessly.
Waterhouse said Fat Al lacked maturity early on in his career but said he had turned the corner mentally and was now a joy to train.
“He even fell in a ditch when he was younger and was off the scene for a long time,” Waterhouse said.
“Ever since he has come back, every time he’s just kept improving.”
Fat Al was a winner over 1900m at Canterbury at the end of his previous campaign and Rawiller had no hesitation in recommending to Waterhouse to step him up in trip in the Frank Packer Plate (2000m) next time.
“I would put him up to 2000 metres, there’s no reason why not,” Rawiller said.
“He was strong to the line today.”
The Danny O’Brien-trained Now You Know, a half-brother to champion So You Think, was having his first start in Sydney and held on for second to record his first stakes placing.
