Exciting New Zealand-bred galloper St Lawrence is continuing his rapid rise through the grades, collecting the sixth win of his seven-start career at Caulfield on Saturday.
The four-year-old son of Redwood was dropping down in class for the Benchmark 78 handicap, having scored a last-start victory in Benchmark 84 grade over the same course and distance four weeks ago.
That brought a rise in weight on Saturday to 61.5kg – reduced by 1.5kg by apprentice jockey Carleen Hefel – but he was nevertheless one of the hottest favourites of the day at $1.80, and he duly delivered.
After breaking well from the inside gate, St Lawrence initially settled in fifth spot along the fence. But Hefel spotted an opportunity to move off the rail coming down the side of the track, and by the time he rounded the home turn, the hot favourite was in clear air and had moved into third.
Front-runners Netanyahu and Scantoon gave a kick, but St Lawrence worked through his gears and slowly but surely reeled them in. He hit the front 50m from home and went clear to score a comfortable win by a length and a half.
“From barrier one, he got stuck on the rail for a while and then the race shape changed coming down the side,” Hefel said.
“But I was able to get off into the one-one at the right time, and I don’t think this horse will be in these benchmark handicaps for long. When he got to his top gear, he let down really nicely and hit the line super strong.”
Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace for an ownership group that includes Ozzie Kheir, John O’Neill and Gerry Harvey, St Lawrence has now had seven starts for six wins, one placing and $284,997 in stakes.
“He’s a big, strapping lad,” stable representative Jack Turnbull said.
“He tips the scales well over 500 and there’s plenty of substance there. He’s a nice horse, he’s sound, and he’s still at a position in the handicaps where he can continue to go through his grades before we step into black type. It’s all going to plan so far.
“We’ll sit down with the owners and have a discussion about what we do from here, but it’s a good place to be in.”
St Lawrence is one of 31 winners in Australia this season for Westbury Stud stallion Redwood. That list is headed by the New Zealand-trained Group One star Sharp ‘N’ Smart, while exciting Queensland four-year-old Antino has won eight of his nine starts including the Listed Wayne Wilson (1600m).
Bred by Westbury owner Gerry Harvey, St Lawrence is one of five winners from seven foals to race out of the unraced Encosta De Lago mare Bacio Del Vinto, who is also the dam of Group Three winner Marroni.
St Lawrence began his career in New Zealand, where he was trained by Andrew Forsman. He won two trials on the Cambridge synthetic track, then overcame a wide run to score an impressive debut win at Hastings on April 16 last year.
He was later bought privately in a deal brokered by Maher’s bloodstock manager Will Bourne
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