Brett Scott joked with owners ahead of Chico Sonado’s (NZ) (Zed) debut at Ladbrokes Park Sandown Hillside on Wednesday that he wished the three-quarter brother of Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed) would be half as good as his Caulfield and Melbourne Cup-winning sibling.
That wish may become reality in future seasons as Chico Sonado, despite apparent inexperience, led throughout against seven rivals in a 1300-metre open-age maiden.
“To be honest, I didn’t want to see him in front today but he began that quickly at the start and Jamie (Mott) didn’t have any choice and just had to find a nice medium pace,” Scott said.
“I suppose the best part was when they came to him, he gave plenty at the end.”
Chico Sonado ($13) had a long neck to spare on the Hawkes Racing-prepared Valspar (Spieth) ($11), with Peter Moody’s Fame (Manhattan Rain) ($3.40 favourite) offering little from his rearward settling position first-up, battling into sixth.
Mott said that he was not surprised that Chico Sonado made a winning debut but conceded his pre-race behaviour diminished his confidence.
“His jumpouts have been great,” Mott said. “He is very raw and that was probably the only thing as going to the races when you are very raw, you don’t know what is going to happen as they can get it all right on the day or all wrong.
“If he brought his jumpout form to the races he was always going to be pretty competitive.
“But I didn’t like coming out to the mounting yard and seeing that he was in a sweat, Scotty said that he was up and about the whole time he was here.
“That just shows you the rawness of him, to be like that and put in a performance like that in, I think he could be one out of the box.”
Chico Sonado already has accomplished a rare feat on debut, becoming just Scott’s second metropolitan winner at its first start.
Scott’s previous first starter to win in town also came at Sandown Hillside almost 20 years to the day when Look Jonathan (Armidale) set a new track record – after the Hillside and Lakeside tracks were recently installed – over 1000m on March 16, 2003.
“On pedigree going up in distance shouldn’t be an issue, 1600 metres and beyond shouldn’t be a problem,” Scott said.
“I suppose now we’ll probably give him another run this prep and then maybe put him aside for the spring because he’s come a long way mentally as well as physically.”
Chico Sonado failed to make his reserve of $100,000 at Book 1 of the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale prior to Scott acquiring the horse privately.
