The Listed $160,000 BRC Spear Chief Quality (1500m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday delivered a new stakes-winner for champion sire Snitzel with progressive four year-old gelding Transatlantic taking victory as a well backed favourite.
Trained by Tony Gollan and ridden by Ryan Maloney, he had a good pull in the weights over Group I winner Desert Lightning and was able to draw clear and win by a length.
"I'm not sure if it will get him into the Stradbroke, it's now up to the handicapper to determine what they want to do with his rating. I've always had the Stradbroke in the back of my mind, this was a low percentage play to try to get him into the race, but I wanted to see him back winning,” said Tony Gollan.
“The other day, I thought he was wanting to get out to this sort of trip, and he travelled like the winner a long way from home. Ryan put him into a good position, and we made a subtle gear change with the winkers going on, which had him focused a touch better.
“We'll see how it plays out with the attrition rate, but if everything marries up we'll be back here next week [for the Stradbroke]. "
"He's a really nice horse, you saw how well he paraded today. He looks fantastic and he's still on the way up. That will have brought him on nicely, if we don't get into the Stradbroke then you might see him in the Wayne Wilson Mile instead."
A $360,000 Inglis easter purchase for Tony Gollan Racing / Harbour Equine / John Foote Bloodstock from the Segenhoe Stud draft, Transatlantic has the overall record of six wins and six placings from 16 starts with prizemoney topping $600,000.
Bred by Go Bloodstock, he is the best of three winners from Group I ATC Australian Oaks winner Gust of Wind, who famously defeated Winx when winning her Oaks.
Segenhoe sold a colt by Stay Inside from Gust of Wind at Inglis Easter this year for $220,000 to Irwin Racing and she has a filly to follow by Dundeel.
Transatlantic is the 160th stakes-winner for Arrowfield Stud’s champion sire Snitzel, who stands at a fee of $247,500.
