Francesco Guardi started his career in Europe, but the son of superhorse Frankel was always destined for Australian racing.
Bought by clients of trainer Chris Waller, the plan was to give him a grounding in England before bringing him to Sydney to eventually target some decent staying races.
At Randwick on Saturday, Francesco Guardi scored his third win since arriving in Australia in the Acy Securities Handicap (1800m), earning himself consideration for a spring carnival campaign.
“We bought this horse as a yearling in the UK and then sent him to a good friend of ours and he trained him as a two-year-old and a three-year-old and then brought him down here,” Waller’s stable representative Charlie Duckworth said.
“He actually ran at Royal Ascot as a three-year-old over a mile-and-a-half.
“Everything he has done to date in Australia has been a bonus really. We thought he would need 2400 (metres) before he really hit his straps and I think this is his first go at the (1800m) journey in this country.
“He’s got an incredibly bright future. Where he ends up I’m not sure, but he could even be a horse that could go to a Metropolitan or a race like that.”
Ridden by Chad Schofield, Francesco Guardi ($5.50) got the better of Major Artie ($10) to score narrowly, with the winner’s stablemate Solar Apex ($3.70 fav) running on for third.
His victory gave the Waller-Schofield combination a winning double after they earlier combined with Kalino and the young jockey described Francesco Guardi as “progressive” horse.
“From around the 600 I was looking to get out and take bad luck out of the equation and we did that,” Schofield said.
“He didn’t quite put them away like I thought he would, but we got the job done.”
