Unfortunate enough to meet the next start Group III winner, The Novelist, when on debut at Kembla Grange last December, Runwiththetide had been a model of consistency without winning at his following three starts. After being gelded, the son of Headwater emerged from a 23-week spell to break his maiden over 1100m at Randwick-Kensington on Wednesday.
Ridden by Brock Ryan for Ross McConville, Runwiththetide blew past the sensationally backed Ragga Ragga to open his account by three-quarters of a length from the All Too Hard filly Miss Emma with the 4-year-old Sepoy mare Tulle a further one and three-quarter lengths back in third.
“He is a lovely horse, a beautiful type and lovely mover, and I was very happy with his trials coming to this,” Brock Ryan said.
‘Gelding could be the making of him. It probably all came a bit too soon last prep, and I’m sure he will win plenty more races.
McConville said it was a deserved award for consistency.
“We thought early on we had a nice horse, and now we know we have a nice horse, so onwards and upwards,” Ross McConville said.
‘There were a couple of horses there that were well fancied, but I knew he would run a good race.
“He will get over a trip, but we will take it run by run.”
A homebred for Manx Park’s Peter O’Shea, Runwiththetide was entered for the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale but did not make the trip.
The imposing son of Headater is the only foal of the winning Harbour Watch mare Hakwa, a granddaughter of the Dr Grace mare Dottoressa, who won the Group III Adrian Knox Stakes and finished second to Tie The Knot in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes.
