Royal Patronage ($18.00) has caused a minor upset on Australian debut to claim victory in the Group 2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday afternoon.
The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained import was first-up after a 420-day spell and two barrier trials, and fitness didn’t seem to be an issue for the son of Wootton Bassett, bounding clear with the prize after receiving an economical run under Tim Clark from barrier 10.
He was able to slot into the one-one position throughout proceedings and didn’t look to be in any danger turning for home, hitting the front with only Amelia’s Jewel ($3.60) making significant inroads in the final 300m.
Kovalica ($12.00) and Freedom Rally ($3.80) were left to fight out the minor placings on a day it was difficult to make ground from the back; however, it was all honours the winner as the five-year-old import stamped himself as one to follow throughout the spring.
2024 Tramway Stakes replay – Royal Patronage
Adrian Bott was on course to breakdown the victory of his European import before suggesting the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) could be a possible target.
“We were really confident with what we’d seen from him at home,” said Bott.
“He worked up quite sharply during the week, which was encouraging going into today. But in fairness, Europeans having their first start in Australia and traditionally showing form over further.
“Also the conditions today, we were just a bit over-minded whether he may find the 1,400m a bit too sharp for him. But the way the race panned out was excellent. There was good pressure on from the outset. He really put himself in the race from the gates.
“He’s put in an excellent performance today, and I’m sure there’s still plenty of improvement to come.
“He could well be (an Epsom horse). Tim [Clark] and I were discussing that off the back of his last trial.
“We thought that might be a really nice race to target, but in the back of our mind, we thought there could be some targets over further, so we wanted to see what we got today, and I think that could definitely be on the cards off the back of today’s run.”
Tim Clark was elated with the win and happy with the work Royal Patronage was putting in at the trials leading into Saturday.
“First up from a long spell, it’s a pretty pretty good effort from him,” said Clark.
“He had a prep early in the year in Melbourne, but he’s come back in and he’s just been going so well at home, working fantastic, trials were good.
“When he was able to bounce and adjust to that seven-furlong speed so comfortably, if anything, raced a bit keen early, because that was the unknown, how he was going to react to a fast run seven, but he traveled sweetly, he was really tough.”
Royal Patronage is now on the second line of betting at $8.00 with horse racing bookmakers for the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) on October 5.
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