Three-year-old filly Way Out West made a winning debut when comfortably defeating older horses in the Laser Electrical Tauranga Maiden (1400m) at Tauranga on Friday.
The Andrew Forsman-trained daughter of U S Navy Flag had placed in two of her four trials, including an eye-catching effort at Matamata prior to her raceday debut.
From an inside draw, Way Out West came from midfield on the rails to score under Craig Grylls.
The premiership-leading jockey took a gap closest to the fence when it presented at the top of the straight and Way Out West attacked the line in the manner of a filly who will prove effective over further ground.
“It was a very good win on debut today,” Grylls said.
“She was three-back on the fence and the horse that was in the trail rolled off and I got a nice suck run up in behind them. The leader presented me with a nice gap, and she has really run away with it and done it pretty comfortably.
“It was a top effort first-up.”
Grylls had previously ridden the filly at the Matamata trials and tellingly elected to ride her over some of the opposition.
“It was quite a nice performance at the trials that day and she has improved, and I think she is only going to improve again too,” he said.
Winning trainer Andrew Forsman knows a bit about the family, having prepared Way Out West’s three-time winning dam Candybelle in conjunction with Murray Baker, with the Savabeel mare a winner up to 2100m.
“It was a good win. I think anytime a three-year-old filly can debut and beat older horses it is always a promising sign,” Forsman’s Racing Manager Joe Walker said.
“It was a great ride. The plan was to be positive, which I think is everyone’s plan today, but he stayed patient, she was midfield on the fence, and she got a dream run through.
“She has always shown us a bit. Her latest trial was very encouraging. It was a good trial in a tidy heat of horses.
“Beating the older horses on debut today, it bodes well for the future for sure.”
Bred and raced by John and Jan Hargreaves and Heidi Birch, Way Out West defeated fellow three-year-old filly Sperlari by just under a length, with Andora back in third.
