Golden Slipper winner Crystal Lily’s half-brother Crystal Web will make a belated debut at Sandown on Wednesday with co-trainers Mat Ellerton and Simon Zahra happy to start his career on a rain-affected track.
The two-year-old colt is the 10th named progeny from the Snippets mare Crystal Snip whose nine foals to race have all been winners.
They include the ill-fated star filly Crystal Lily as well as stakes winners Amaethon and Crystal Wit.
Crystal Lily collapsed and died during a jump-out at Flemington in September.
She had won four of her 15 starts and almost $2.7 million in stakes.
“We had him (Crystal Web) nominated for a race at Flemington before Christmas but he had lightened off too much so we spelled him without giving him a run,” Ellerton said.
“He’s not the prettiest horse around but we’re happy enough with how he’s going.”
Crystal Web will jump from the outside barrier with Chris Symons aboard in the Dream Thoroughbreds Handicap (1000m).
The Sandown Hillside circuit was on Tuesday rated well into the heavy range.
“He’s had a couple of jump-outs on affected tracks at Flemington and it was pretty heavy when he won the last one,” Ellerton said.
“I’m happy to run him tomorrow. You can’t protect them forever.
“It would be nice if he won tomorrow but I’m not expecting him to.”
With Bishops Castle, runner-up at his debut at Bairnsdale on Tuesday, most unlikely to back up, only one of the remaining 11 runners has raced.
The Robert Smerdon stable will saddle up two runners in Eclair Sensation, to be ridden by Nick Hall, and Prince Stratum, to be handled by Glen Boss.
Eclair Sensation, a $440,000 Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale graduate, is by Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Street Sense from the Danehill mare Aristocracy who was a Doomben winner as a two-year-old.
The gelding is from the same family as 2012 Dubai World Cup victor Monterosso.
