Gai Waterhouse headed to Canterbury on Wednesday confident Romantic Touch could make her start to the racing day a winning one.
But even the ever-optimistic trainer would have been hard-pressed to predict the demolition performance the juvenile produced.
Stepping up to 1550 metres for the first time in the Australian Turf Club Handicap, Romantic Touch was taken to the front by Nash Rawiller, quickened before the corner and went further ahead in the straight, coasting to a 7-1/2 length victory.
“He really got the others off the bit. That was Nash at his best,” Waterhouse said.
“He was very impressive. I thought he might go up to the TJ Smith in Queensland, which is now called the Atkins, and I thought if he’s capable of going there then he really has to be capable of winning this impressively.”
Romantic Touch defied a betting drift from $2.40 to $4 to score his second win in succession.
Rawiller said the gelding relished the rise in distance from the 1400m he scored over last start which augured well for the 1600m of the Group One JJ Atkins at Eagle Farm on June 8.
“He’s getting to his right trip now and it really suits him,” Rawiller said.
“He’ll go on to better things.”
Waterhouse said Romantic Touch would go to the Atkins without another run.
Three-year-old Runhardasun scored a much narrower victory in the TAB.com.au Plate (1550m) and while he won’t head to Queensland, trainer Chris Waller is hoping he can make the winter months more lucrative in Sydney.
“Toady’s race was a pressure race and he came out on top,” Waller said.
“I think some good form will come out of it because that race was all go from the start.
“It’s a good time of year to win some prize money here and get some BOBS bonuses.”
Runhardasun gave Blake Shinn the first leg of a double with the John Thompson-trained track-specialist Honourable Aussie providing the other.
Honourable Aussie started a $4.20 equal favourite and always had the Testa Rossa @ Vinery Handicap (1900m) in his keeping, leading throughout to post a four-length victory – his fifth from 10 starts at the track.
