Lost And Running has stamped himself as a promising young sprinter, easily handling the step up to midweek city grade at Randwick’s Kensington track to remain unbeaten from two starts.
The John O’Shea-trained three-year-old gelding made an immediate impression with a 4-1/2-length win in quick time over 1000m on debut at Scone last month and he backed it up with another convincing victory as the odds-on favourite in Wednesday’s Sky Racing Active Handicap (1100m).
Lost And Running took up the lead early and then when asked to extend in the final 200m of the benchmark-70 race by jockey Hugh Bowman he drew away to win by 3-1/4-lengths.
“He’s got a beautiful, sweet action,” O’Shea told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
“Although he looked to be going quick, he seems to do that quite effortlessly.
“It was very exciting. I know it’s only winter form but he’s doing a good job and we’ll just keep letting him learn his craft along the way throughout the winter.
“When he tells us he’s had enough he can have a break and we’ll see what we’ve got after that.”
Bowman, who rode two winners on the seven-race program, said Lost And Running was certainly a progressive sprinter who was still maturing.
“He’s a real running type, a real competitor, but I’d like to see him just harness that energy in the early stages because the way lengthened when I asked him to was really good,” Bowman said.
“But if he could just chill a bit early on he’ll have more energy at the end.
“He’s a genuine Saturday-class horse, most probably better.
“I think he could be a black-type sprinter.”
Earlier, the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable produced yet another two-year-old winner for the season when Equation scored by 2-1/4-lengths at his second start in the Magna Grecia @ Coolmore Australia Handicap (1100m).
Equation had finished unplaced on debut at Randwick in a race won by the unbeaten Peltzer and jockey Tommy Berry believes there is upside for the colt heading into next season.
“I think in time you’re going to see a really nice progressive young horse,” Berry said.
“He’s probably more a three-year-old and I think the best is yet to come.”
