Bloodstock agents are circling exciting three-year-old Suit Yourself following his win in the SJC Foundation 3YO (1200m) at Te Rapa on Friday.
The son of Savile Row was fair away from his ace barrier and settled in midfield for jockey Ryan Elliot. The pair tracked up on the inner behind the leaders down the straight before Elliot presented his charge through a gap at the 200m mark and Suit Yourself quickly accelerated to take the lead and held on for a long neck victory over a fast-finishing Domain Ace.
“He is quite something,” Elliot said. “He got a little fidgety in the gates, but he jumped pretty well to put himself there and he’s a horse that you’d just look after and he should keep improving.”
It was the second consecutive win for Suit Yourself from just three starts, having finished runner-up on debut at Arawa Park in July.
Trainer Pam Gerard and her partner Tommy Hazlett purchased Suit Yourself out of Valachi Downs’ Gavelhouse.com Dispersal Sale as weanling for $3,000, and he has proven to be an astute buy by the Matamata couple, who have fielded plenty of interest in the colt.
“I was tossing up between running today or next Saturday in the three-year-old 1400m at Matamata, but he was just getting too full of himself and needed to run,” Gerard said.
“It was the right race for him and thanks to the club for presenting such a good track. It’s that time of year when you like to see these nice three-year-olds getting out and about, and racing on a good track like this is very important.
“There have been offers for the horse, but we’ll just have to see where it goes from here. He’s gone and beaten a substantial field today, and every one of his races has had the form stack up in it.
“He’s proven himself in three starts, with two wins and a second, and we’re very proud of him.
“He’s still growing, started to get quite leggy of late, but he’s shown ability and gives the impression he’ll get there in due course.”
