Any fears Kerrin McEvoy might have had about Redzel doing too much early in the race have been allayed by the three-year-old’s dominant win in the July Sprint at Canterbury.
Although the plan was to lead in Saturday’s 1100m dash, McEvoy worried he had gone out of the gates too hard.
But the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained gelding lived up to his $3 favouritism, holding off his only challenger, Wouldn’t It Be Nice ($13), by three-quarters of a length.
There were few excuses for the rest of the field that was headed by Forget ($17), which finished 4-1/4 lengths from the runner-up.
“I just had to get him out of the machines. I was a bit worried that after the furlong I’d just lit him up a bit too much but the horse had to tough it out,” McEvoy said.
“He was a bit eager through the first part. Pete said just step it up and get him mobile and get him chasing.
“I was a little bit worried after got to the 500 (metre) mark after what I’d done in the first part.”
Peter Snowden had no problems watching from the sidelines.
“That’s the way to ride him. It’s the way he races best,” he said.
“It was daring because of the wind blowing down the back but in the past we’ve been trying to ride him too pretty.
“He’s a speed horse.”
Snowden said he was uncertain where the gelding would go next but a step back up to stakes racing was likely.
The winner of three of his 10 starts, Redzel numbers the Listed Fireball Quality (1100m) in March among his victories.
The Snitzel gelding is raced in the colours of the Triple Crown syndicate, which had a significant winner at Newcastle earlier in the day.
Debutante Bukzel, also trained by the Snowdens, gave Snitzel a record-equalling 30th two-year-old winner for the season.
Redzel is also by Snitzel, which has had 29 juvenile winners in Australia and one in South Africa.
