Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou saddled up two runners in the Eskimo Prince Stakes and they ran the quinella, just not in the order the stable expected.
The training partners saw Saturday’s Group Three sprint as an ideal grand final for race-fit three-year-old The Face, while it appealed as a campaign starting point for rising star Peltzer.
But the Eskimo Prince (1200m) proved more than just a stepping stone for the latter as Peltzer asserted his class to run down his stablemate.
In doing so, he maintained his unbeaten record at Randwick where he has raced five times for five wins, three of them in feature races.
“Really, I did believe they’d run one-two but I had a leaning to the other horse being fitter and getting three kilograms off him,” Ryan said.
“I thought Peltzer may not have been able to give him a start and pick him up.
“I said before the race he was fit enough to win first up but with improvement to come.
“Class will win you a race any day.”
Tim Clark positioned Peltzer ($5.50) perfectly trailing the speed, easing to the outside around the corner and reeling in The Face ($7) to score by three-quarters of a length.
Prague ($9) did best of the rest with favourite North Pacific fourth.
Jockey James McDonald felt North Pacific had excuses and told stewards the Golden Rose runner-up found the line “OK”.
Clark was full of praise for the winner and suggested he was in for a good autumn.
“For him to do that first up, it’s a really good sign for times ahead,” Clark said.
“He got better as he got into the prep last time so there’s no reason why, on that performance, he can’t reach the top level.”
