Lightly-raced speedster Inundation (Headwater) made a blistering return to the racetrack, establishing a new 1000-metre track record at The Valley on Saturday.
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained four-year-old clocked 56.84 seconds in winning the BM78 bettering the 56.92 seconds recorded by Written Beauty more than two years ago and the new mark now ensures there will be no flying under the radar for the promising son of Headwater.
Jockey Jamie Kah didn’t hesitate to describe the four-year-old as being “special” after his blitz while a delighted co-trainer Michael Kent Jnr preferred to keep a lid on the growing hype around the horse.
“He’s definitely a stakes horse in the making but with a nice weight, we’ll just go through the grades and capitalise on his low rating and winning some nice prizemoney for his owners,” Kent Jnr said.
Inundation took his record to four wins from six starts with the performance, which was not unexpected but was certainly welcomed by Kent Jnr in what was the horse’s first run for the season.
“I loved the way he bounced and put himself there and once he was outside the leader, he controlled the race,” Kent Jnr said.
“He’s a great horse the way he can travel so easily on a fast tempo. It was very, very nice to watch.
“He was dropping three-year-olds in the winter last time around and now he’s got to go up in level.”
After Inundation travelled kindly for the first part of the race, Kah released the brakes on the home turn and Inundation romped home as the $2.30 favourite to win by two and three quarter lengths from the early leader Unflinching ($6) with Okay To Pay ($21) a length and three quarters away in third place.
“He’s special,” Kah said on dismounting. “He probably knocked up then because there was so much pressure in that race and he was entitled to but the future is very bright for him.
“He’s got a great attitude and a really relaxed temperament which I think they need these sprinters. If they overdo it, they are going to fall in a hole in the end.
“I think he’s matured a lot this prep. In his trial he was just fantastic and he took fitness out of that and he’ll take fitness out of this.”
Inundation won two trials in New Zealand out of Jenna Mahoney’s Byerley Park stable before being purchased in a deal brokered privately through bloodstock agent Phill Cataldo.
“He was just a beautifully balanced horse and when he won his second trial at Te Rapa he showed a great action,” Cataldo said.
“He was always going to be about 16hh and he was nice and correct with a good brain and he was beautifully prepared by Jenna.”
Cataldo, who is often associated with sourcing horses that excel from 1400m and beyond from New Zealand, said the speedier Inundation wasn’t initially snapped up by clients.
“I was surprised, I had a real job selling that horse. I couldn’t believe it, I thought for sure he’d be popular for Hong Kong, but maybe his sire Headwater was a question mark at the time.
“He looks a 1000m or 1200m horse for sure and that will be why the Australians were a bit reluctant to buy him at first as they have plenty of that type, but I am pleased that he looks like another nice horse for Mick and Michael who have done very well with horses sourced from New Zealand, whether it be through the sales or from our trials or races.”
