First up in 23 weeks, the promising sprinter Katsu opened his stakes account in Wednesday's $200,000 Listed Resimax Group Kensington Stakes (1000m) at Flemington to credit Deep Impact's dual Group 1 winner Mikki Isle (JPN) with his second Australian stakes-winner.
Ridden by Jordan Childs for Grahame Begg, Katsu was the best to begin, and Childs was determined to keep the 4-year-old from overracing as Najem Suhail put the pressure on. When asked for an effort, Katsu lengthened impressively to defeat the Starspangledbanner gelding Najem Suhail by a length and a quarter, with the Rich Enuff mare Rich Fortune a half-length back in third.
A first-up specialist, Katsu advanced his record to five wins, a second, and a third from ten starts with earnings of $316,200.
It was a second win in the race for Jordan Childs, who has ridden Katsu in all but one of his ten starts.
"He was a lot more relaxed today. First up in his previous campaigns, he came in a bit fresh, whereas today he was relaxed going to the gates," Childs said.
"He jumped out and got into a beautiful rhythm. He is probably furnishing in to the finished product.
"Everyone has been getting wide all day because the wind is blowing across the track. There is nothing wrong with the inside; when you draw barrier one, you don't have many options.
"I was happy to keep him comfortable, and he finished it off well.
"I think he has better races in store."
Consigned by his breeder, Arrowfield Stud, to the 2021 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Katsu made $170,000 to the bid of his trainer.
That was the highest price paid for a yearling in the second crop of Arrowfield's three-season shuttler Mikki Isle (JPN) and his third overall.
Katsu is the best of two winners from as many to race for the Not A Single Doubt mare Zing And Swing, a three-quarter sister to Group III ATC Triscay Stakes winner Zestful (Redoute's Choice) and a half to stakes-placed Zedazest (Fuji Kiseki) and the dam of Group II Reisling Slipper and Magic Millions 2yo Classic winner Military Rose.
From the famed family of Zeditave, Zing And Swing has a Castelvecchio colt named Two Wolves, a $50,000 purchase for Beamish Bloodstock at the 2023 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
Katsu is the second stakes-winner in Australia for Mikki Isle (JPN), behind Dragonstone, and his sixth overall.
