For all their success in three-year-old staying features, Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young were yet to win a VRC St Leger, with American Wolf (NZ) (Tivaci) pulling out all the stops to change that record.
First run in 1857, the St Leger is one of Australia’s oldest classics, and American Wolf ($12) proved the strongest stayer under John Allen, battling stride for stride with the Danny O’Brien trained filly Litzdeel ($8.50) to win by a long head, the pair clearing out by six lengths back to Kicking King ($12) in third.
Co-trainer Natalie Young said it was a thrilling race to watch and an even better one to win.
“Got a beautiful run. Just sat out the back, third last, and just relaxed nice and beautifully,” Young said.
“John Allen just rode him an absolute treat… he was ridden more forward last start when he won at Ballarat and to come here today and do that, it means next week he’ll be ready to roll.”
Young confirmed next week’s Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) is firmly on the agenda for American Wolf, provided the son of Tivaci comes through the St Leger well.
“Definitely if he pulls up well, eats up, all the usual things, you might as well, you’re only three once. You don’t have to do much with him, he’s run 28 (hundred metres) today, he’s going to run 25 next week, so you’ve just got to tick him over basically,” Young said.
While Young was confident in suggesting American Wolf would be highly competitive in a South Australian Derby, jockey John Allen, who has won the race four times in the past ten years, was a touch more conservative.
“You’d like to think so,” Allen said.
“He’s a horse on the up, lightly raced, he seems big and strong enough, as long as he comes through that run well enough. But he seems to have a good enough constitution, so I reckon he’ll be certainly there with a fighter’s chance.”