The second most expensive yearling by his sire Lean Mean Machine, Enxuto began paying his way at start two when successful over 1425m at Seymour on Sunday.
Ridden by Patrick Maloney for Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock, Enxuto improved on his debut fourth at Pakenham on September 1 to defeat the Almanzor filly Tietar by a length with a neck to the War Decree gelding Warmonger in third ahead of the odds-on favourite Haaracaine (IRE).
Patrick Maloney said he formed I high opinion of the handsome colt.
I galloped this horse on Thursday for Robbie and Matt, and I said, ‘where is he going, I want to be riding him,” Maloney said.
“They ummed and ahhed, so I put the pressure on them, and they rewarded me for riding work for them.
“I really like him. He is a big, strong brute of a colt, and he has a lot of upside.
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uo;We think he will get further. He drew barrier one and was starting to get cantankerous, but the Victorian barrier staff are so elite that he calmed down, began well and held a positive spot.
“Because he is a big, strong horse, I was able to push out at the top of the straight and he lengthened with a bit up his sleeve.”
Enxuto was a $300,000 purchase for Griffiths de Kock Racing / Peter Ford Thoroughbreds (FBAA) from the Blue Gum Farm draft at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
He is the second winner from as many foals for the winning Stratum mare Innocent I Am, who died in June last year without leaving another foal.
Her first foal Innocent Enough (Rich Enuff), is a Ballarat winner for Logan McGill and has placed in two of her six starts.
Innocent Enough’s half-brothers, Innocent Gamble (Elvstroem) won the Listed MRC Blue Diamond Preview, and Viking Legend (Elvstroem) won the Listed ATC Dulcify Quality and was runner-up to Shoot Ouyt in the Group 1 Randwick Guineas and third to Monaco Consul in both the Group 1 Victoria Derby and Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes.
Lean Mean Machine came within a length and a half of a double on the day when Find My Calm finished second over 1200m at the Gold coast. She might have been unlucky to run into a promising one in the Chris Munce-trained Oberoi Princess (Dracarys).
Lean Mean Machine (Zoustar) stands at Aquis Farm for $13,200.
