| Former
expensive yearling purchase Specular has scored an impressive win at his jumping debut at
Caulfield today. By the super sire Danehill and out
of the Wellington Cup and Auckland Sires' Produce Stakes winner Spyglass, the colt was one
of the stars of the 1998 Australian Easter Yearling Sale catalogue in Sydney.
Astute Caulfield trainer Colin Little went to $350,000 to
secure the bay colt at the Newmarket Complex in Sydney.
From 27 starts for his former connections the well bred
half brother to the Epsom Handicap winner Iron Horse, Specular earned connections just
short of $135,000.
Tony Rosolini was impressed with Specular's performance
when he finished second to one of his stable stars Prince Benbara in the listed Heatherlie
Handicap at Caulfield during last year's spring carnival.
"His second placing that day was a great effort, I was
very impressed," Rosolini said. "It seemed he was able to get through the wet
tracks as well."
Rosolini purchased Specular for $25,000 at the Les Jensen
sales at Moonee Valley recently in view of jumping the blue blood.
Early hopes for the colt who was by a Group One winner and
producing sire and from a dual Group One winning and producing mare, were not achieved,
but he may have finally found his calling.
After racing handy throughout the five-year-old strolled to
the lead and then strode away from his rivals to win by four lengths from the favourite
Woody Woodpecker. Super Cobra was third a further four lengths back.
"He'd shown us some talent when he was schooling to
get his ticket," Rosolini said. "But he's really only been jumping about six
weeks, so it's been a good effort."
Rosolini said he would run the gelding in "one ot two
more" suitable hurdle events before sending the gelding for a spell and again look at
the winter jumping events next year. |
