A pair of Godolphin cast-offs has Richard Litt enthusiastic as he dreams of his first metropolitan double at Rosehill.
Two weeks after Sedition supplied the small-scale trainer his first Saturday winner in Sydney, the three-year-old gelding and stablemate Handfast attempt to record another first.
And should Adam Hyeronimus not salute on either, Litt will not be too despondent.
He already has 14 wins this season, double what he achieved last term, and with only 11 in work is thrilled to saddle up Sedition and Handfast.
“I’m just happy to have two competitive Saturday horses,” Litt said.
“I’ve got a good little team behind me so we’re delighted.”
Litt assumed responsibility for the family’s Warwick Farm stable when his father Jim returned to New Zealand in 2016 and had his first win with Klisstra in February last year.
“We don’t have many but we have some nice young horses coming through,” he said.
Sedition fits that bill after the three-year-old was snapped up for $34,000 at the Melbourne sales in December.
He earned $6400 prize money with Godolphin and in five starts with Litt his earnings have climbed to $121,885.
A last-start win in a Benchmark 77 Handicap (1200m) provided the bulk of that and now Sedition is after the third win of his preparation in the Malcolm Johnston Hall Of Fame Handicap (1100m).
“He’s going well and he’s only going to improve,” Litt said.
“He’s a half brother to Osborne Bulls who obviously is just starting to come into his own now, and he’s a year or so older.”
Sedition was a $7.50 chance with the TAB on Friday with Godolphin’s Epidemic the $3 favourite.
Litt paid $26,000 for Handfast after the five-year-old recorded three wins and five placings for Godolphin.
He was fourth first-up behind in-form mare Anatola over 1200m at Randwick on April 21, and returns from a freshen-up to tackle the same trip in the Colin Hayes Hall Of Fame Handicap as a $26 chance.
Litt rued drawing a wide gate but is staying positive.
“Some of these older horses like a bit of room so he can come out, get a bit of cover midfield and hopefully be strong late,” he said.
