Trainer David Murphy will resist the temptation to rush promising Shotacross The Bow into a spring campaign despite the gelding’s easy win at Doomben on Saturday.
Shotacross The Bow ($2.80) made it three wins from his past four starts when he led most of the way to claim the Past President’s Two Year Old (1640m).
At his previous start Shotacross The Bow came from well back in the field to win a Sunshine Coast two year old over 1400m.
However on Saturday, jockey Brad Stewart took Shotacross The Bow to the lead and went on to beat Wicked Snippets ($6) by 1 3/4 lengths.
Murphy said it had been a good effort because Wicked Snippets, which was third in the Sunshine Coast race, met his horse 4 1/2 kg better at the weights.
“But Shotacross The Bow is a pretty good horse. I told Brad not to try to hold him up and to let him stride along and if he had to lead, so be it,” Murphy said.
“The thing about him is he can sustain a long run. I ride him work and he is a handful. You can’t stop and start on him.”
He said he’d now spell Shotacross The Bow to bring him back for some of the carnivals next year and wouldn’t be rushing him into the spring carnivals in Sydney and Melbourne.
“He is a Magic Millions horse and I could bring him back for the Guineas at that carnival in January. I also think he might make a Queensland Derby horse in the winter next year,” Murphy said.
Stewart said Shotacross The Bow had led easily and had shown no sign of stopping on the straight.
