Kiwi import I’mintowin has made an instant impact for his new connections when leading throughout to land the Canadian Club Handicap (1500m) for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott at Rosehill on Saturday.
Rated to perfection by Regan Bayliss, the four-year-old gelding scored by more than a length from Diamond Model and Fall For Cindy.
A son of Contributer, I’mintowin was prepared by Peter and Dawn Williams to win one of his six starts in New Zealand, boasting a third placing in the Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) behind Sacred Satono.
He signed off on his New Zealand career when ninth in the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) won by Romancing The Moon, with syndicator Darby Racing buying into the horse while the original New Zealand owners retain equity in the progressive galloper.
“We learnt plenty and that was good to see,” Bott said.
“He is obviously a nice progressive type of horse. He just has a nice free-flowing style of racing to him.
“Through the mid-stages he looked comfortable out there in front and it was quite a high-cruising speed where he had a few of them off the bit early and he sustained that all the way.
“First-up at the 1500m I thought it was a really good effort there from him.
“They stretched him out to a mile in New Zealand. He was effective over the shorter trips in some better class races as well, but I always think with those New Zealand horses coming over you try and stretch them out over a little bit further.
“A mile to 2000m – we will keep him going as far as he can until he says stop.”
Winning rider Regan Bayliss was expecting a good performance with more improvement to come.
“His trackwork on Tuesday was really good although we thought he would improve second-up, which would be his best run of the preparation,” he said.
“To produce that performance today up against rock-hard fit horses, it was a good win.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if he got up to 2000m. I think he is just a tough on-speed New Zealand stayer and they are going to have a lot of fun with him here in Australia.
Out of the three-win Castledale mare Beguile, I’mintowin was bred by John MacLachlan’s Masterpiece Enterprises Limited and he remains in the ownership. – NZ Racing Desk
