Progressive three-year-old Subarc showed he had returned in good order with a last-stride win over the favourite Pampelonne at Rosehill on Saturday.
The Chris Waller-trained Subarc ($9.50) relaxed at the back of the field in the Churchills Sports Bar Handicap (1200m) and came with a late rush to claim Pampelonne ($2.50) in the shadows of the post to win by a short half-head with two lengths to Upstacker ($21) in third.
Pampelonne was coming off an impressive debut victory at Warwick Farm and after box-seating in the run he bullocked his way out in the straight and looked the winner as he raced to the front.
“I followed him (Pampelonne) through and at the furlong (200m) once I had followed him through I thought I had him,” Subarc’s jockey Rod Quinn said.
“But then when I came out from behind him it took him (Subarc) a little while to wind up and then I thought he (Pampelonne) might have had enough of a break on me. The last few strides though he really put in a couple of big ones and got there.”
Quinn believes Saturday’s first-up victory was a good sign for Subarc’s preparation as he relaxed well in the run and hit the line strongly.
“I just tried to get him to relax today and he did it really well,” the experienced hoop said.
“Definitely getting him to relax is going to help him because he’s going to get out to 1400 metres and a mile (1600m). That’s what he wants.”
Subarc raced five times last season for a win on the Kensington track at Randwick over the talented Darley colt Galah.
Trainer Tim Martin believes experience told in the end with Pampelonne.
“It was a good run, he’s still learning,” Martin said.
“He just got tired late and it was always the worry that either that horse (Subarc) or Guy Walter’s horse (Exceed And Exalt) were more seasoned than him because they had that racing experience last season.”
AAP TURF
