Highland Reel (IRE) is off the mark in Australia, his first winner coming with the Jackson Pallot-trained Highland Blaze in a 2200m maiden at Bairnsdale on Monday.
Ridden by Liam Riordan, Highland Blaze began smartly and sat off the leader Kerkorian. Set to an all-out drive at the 600m, Highland Blaze scrambled around the corner, drifting to the outside fence. Once balanced up, he kept up a strong gallop to Mogadishu (Fiorente) by one and a quarter length, with Redskin Jimmy (Jimmy Choux) a further one and three-quarter lengths back in third.
Placed in three of his previous five starts, Highland Blaze is the third winner from as many foals for the Clangalang mare Bells Of Troy, a winner at Flemington and Caulfield.
Purchased by Jackson Pallot Racing for $11,000 at the 2014 Inglis August Thoroughbred Sale, Bells Of Troy has one more foal, a 2yo gelding by Grunt named I'm A Grunt.
A 7-time Group 1 winning son of Galileo, Highland Reel (GB) is a brother to Cape Of Good Hope and Our Idaho out of a stakes-placed sister to Elvstroem and a half to Haradasun.
Highland Reel (IRE) shuttles to Swettenham Stud where he is serving his fifth book of mares at a fee of $16,500.
