After placing in three of his first five starts, the 3-year-old Trapeze Artist colt Johnny The Kid rang up number one with a dominant win in the Marcellin College Randwick Maiden Hcp (1500m) at Randwick-Kensington on Wednesday.
Ridden by Nash Rawiller for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Johnny The Kid took up the running. When looking to be under pressure at the top of the straight, Johnny The Kid found his second wind, running the 1500m out strongly to defeat the fast-finish Shamus Award gelding Rawtion by three lengths with the 4-year-old Ocean Park mare Ocean Diva a half-length back in third.
A $120,000 purchase for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing/Kestrel Thoroughbreds from the Widden Stud draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Johnny The Kid runs for John Singleton’s Strawberry Hill Stud and partners.
The son of Trapeze Artist has the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes as his goal this spring.
“I’m delighted for Singo; he has a lot of faith in this horse, who has been promising to win, but needed a few things to go his way,” Adrian Bott said.
“I think the distance helped him, and off the back of that will get further.
“We might test him over a bit further in better quality races and see how he measures up. It took a while for him to work through his gears, the sign of a horse that will get over further.”
Bred by Bert Vieira, Johnny The Kid is the eighth winner from as many to race for the speedy General Nediym mare I Got Chills, winner of the Listed VRC Maribyrnong Trial Stakes and Listed MVRC St Albans Stakes in a career restricted to four starts.
Bert Vieira purchased I Got Chills off John Singleton for $250,000 at the 2014 National Broodmare Sale.
The dual stakes winner was pensioned in July. She has a 2-year-old sister and a yearling sister to Johnny The Kid.
