Dragonstone might not be much to look at, but he has put himself on a path to stakes company with a flawless first-up performance at Kemba Grange.
Trainer Mark Newnham openly describes the three-year-old as “small and plain” but admits he packs a punch on the racetrack after posting his second win in four starts in Saturday’s Canadian Club Handicap (1000m).
“I will get in trouble from some of the owners for calling him small and plain but that’s what he is,” Newnham said.
“(But) he ain’t small and plain when you watch him work, or you watch him race like that.”
Dragonstone ($2.25 fav) raced three times during the winter for a win and two placings but was still learning his craft and made a few mistakes, particularly coming out of the gates.
But there was no sign of that on Saturday when he jumped cleanly for apprentice Tyler Schiller and put himself one out and one back before pouncing in the straight to down the previously undefeated Satin Ribbons ($3.80) by a length.
He’s Super Lucky ($31), who was also resuming, was another length away third.
Newnham will give Dragonstone one more run before heading to the Listed Gosford Guineas (1200m) on December 29, ahead of a possible autumn carnival campaign.
“He’s a really promising little horse. He’s got a really good turn of foot and you don’t get that often,” Newnham said.
“I planned to have him third-up into the Gosford Guineas at the end of December.
“It looks a nice little target race for him and then maybe give him a little break before the autumn.”
Dragonstone is raced by a group of owners which include Tabcorp executives Nick Tzaferis, Nick Quinn and Andrew Georgiou.
