The $150,000 Listed Carrington Stakes (1400m) at Randwick was lone stakes race in Australia on Saturday, which fell to a proven stakes performer.
The Kris Lees-trained topweight Special Reward was given a quiet ride by Glyn Schofield. The 6yo son of Demerit proved unstoppable when launching down the outside to defeat the Wanted gelding Through The Cracks by a length with the Pins gelding No Compromise a short-half-head back in third.
It was the fourth stakes win for the sleek black gelding advancing his record to ten four one from 29 starts with earnings of $1,104,630.
He had won six of his first nine starts for Simon Miller in Western Australia before his sale to Australian Bloodstock.
“He is starting to show the consistency he showed in his early career,” Lees said.
“He is racing in better company and getting up in the weights. He had excuses at Canterbury last start (when second in the Listed Christmas Classic), but he ran well.
“He looked likely to be in the finish a long way from home - Glyn rides him well.
“He is a horse that you can’t expose too early. If you didn’t know him and expose him at the top of the straight, he could be found wanting in the last 100m.
“We gave him a nice long break before this preparation, and he has been a great money-spinner of late.”
Bred by Taunton Vale, Special Reward is one of three stakes winners out of the Special Bond mare Special Kiseki.
Special Reward follows the Group III WATC Sires' Produce Stakes winner Showy Chloe (Alfred Nobel) and Listed winner El Rijes (Eternity Range).
Special Kiseki has a yearling filly by Sessions.
Purchased by John Chalmers Bloodstock for $145,000 out of the Taunton Vale draft at the 2017 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale, Special Reward is the most expensive yearling sold by his sire Demerit.
A Group III winning son of Lonhro, Demerit was euthanised in July 2019 after breaking a tibia in a paddock accident.
