Trainer Joseph Pride may have unearthed a very impressive type this preparation, as Think About It continues blistering through the grades with a Group 3 win in the Liverpool City Cup on Saturday afternoon.
It was a dominant front-running effort from Sam Clipperton to pinch some cheap sectionals mid-race and utilising the low weight for the lightly raced four-year-old out of So You Think.
It’s been an impressive rise this preparation when starting his campaign in January to score at BM 72 grade and now could be looking for bigger and better things after Saturday’s Group 3 triumph.
Gravina was consistent as ever running into second after getting every chance from barrier five and James McDonald aboard, as Bandersnatch proved the best of the closers on resumption from a 105-day spell.
From the jump it was a comfortable watch for favourite backers as Sam Clipperton was able to keep luck out of the equation and kick clear to score for a comfortable 1.7 length win.
Joe Pride spoke about his horse’s rise this time in and is of the opinion Group 1 success may not be out of the realm of possibility.
“That was pretty breathtaking,” said Pride.
“Just for a young horse still learning his trade, don’t get it wrong he’s four years old, but he’s a baby. What we are going to see from him in 12 months, six months maybe? Really special.
“Horses just don’t do what he’s done in the last four starts, so I think we’ll probably aim at the Stradbroke with him.
“Never make a decision on a race track, we’ll get him home and have a look at him. But what I saw today, if that isn’t a Group 1 horse in the making I haven’t seen one.”
Jockey Sam Clipperton was glowing post-race about Think About It and was bullish about his chances today and moving forward for tougher assignments.
“When he won that midweek race at Warwick Farm I knew we had a pretty special horse and he’s just raised the bar,” said Clipperton.
“He doesn’t exceed expectations but he does what good horses do, and that’s win.
“It’s hard to measure where his ceiling is because he’s still very, I wouldn’t say he’s raw in his race’s but you see his pre-race parade you’d swear he was Anamoe.”
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