The tried and true has prevailed over the unknown with the in-form Lanciato winning the Listed Carrington Stakes in which the much-spruiked import George Patton was unplaced as favourite.
While there were a few excuses for George Patton ($2.70) at his first start for more than 18 months, Lanciato ($3.30) didn’t get things in his favour either.
Rachel King had trouble getting Lanciato into the clear in the straight but once she found a gap, he burst through to beat Prized Icon ($31) by three-quarters of a length.
Trainer Mark Newnham was fulsome in his praise of King and Lanciato who won at Randwick three weeks ago.
“It was a great ride by Rachel and there was a bit of ‘wow’ about his turn of foot,” Newnham said.
“It took us a while to figure him out but I think we have the key to him now.
“He loves 1400 metres and he loves these dry tracks.
“Every time we raise the bar he goes over it.”
Newnham will take the gamble the tracks will stay dry and put in a nomination for the Doncaster Mile 2018.
“We will give him a few weeks off,” he said.
“He likes to be fresh and it’s five or six weeks to the Newcastle Newmarket so that’s the way I’d like to go and hope we don’t get wet tracks.”
The win means Sydney’s leading apprentice King has only one left until she loses her claim and has to compete on level terms as she did in the Carrington.
But she showed why trainers are keen to put her on, staying composed when Lanciato was trying to negotiate a gap.
“I realised there wasn’t one there and had to come to the outside and he did the rest,” King said.
“Mark told me if I won on him today I would keep the ride in the Newcastle Newmarket.
“I’m riding for a lot of great trainers so hopefully they keep putting me on.”
Co-trainer Paul Snowden said George Patton had over-raced and found it all a bit new.
The former French horse spent time in Hong Kong without racing there because of injury.
“It was his first time at the races for a long time,” he said.
“He over-raced and had pressure from other horses and will improve off that.”
Prized Icon’s trainer Kris Lees was pleased with his second but uncertain where he would run next.
The 2016 Victoria Derby winner was having his first start for Lees after being transferred from James Cummings when the latter took up his position with Godolphin.
