A campaign that began a year ago has ended on a high with Keepit To Yourself winning the Listed Winter Challenge at Rosehill.
The six-year-old has had 20 starts since August last year with only a couple of short breaks and co-trainer Greg Lee said he had earned a rest.
Keepit To Yourself
Lee, who trains in partnership with his brother Jim, said they had kept him going hoping for a drier track than his past three starts on heavy surfaces in which he had been placed.
“He just needed a dry track and we knew he would come good,” Lee said.
“He’s earned a rest now.”
Rosehill was up to soft on Saturday and despite his consistency, Keepit To Yourself was a $20 chance in the first feature race of the new season over 1500 metres.
Tommy Berry had the brother to multiple stakeswinner Keepin’ The Dream just behind the speed and made his move in the straight.
Keepit To Yourself strode to a 1-1/4 length win over Great Esteem ($4) with three-quarters of a length to third-placed Rugged Cross ($6).
“He has taken a step up the ladder,” Lee said.
“He’s got a bit to go to be as good as his brother but I think he can get there.
“Even though he’s six now, he’s like his brother in that he’s taken a long time to mature.
“He can make an Epsom horse but not this year. We will aim him at the Villiers and look at those races next year.
“The family are big, strong horses and he will keep going.”
Berry said he had faith in his mount.
“I won a Gosford Cup on his brother,” he said.
“I kept him warmed up behind the barrier and he was switched on.”
More than 30 years after Hayai won the Caulfield Cup, the Lee brothers have a small team in work at Randwick in the stables named in his honour.
“We’ve only got a small team now of around ten,” Lee said.
“It’s nice to get a horse like this and to win a nice race like this and hopefully there are more of them.”
