The Listed City Tatt's NSW Carrington Stakes dates back to 1886 and boasts a roll call of winners such as Bernborough, influential stallion Snippets and 3-time winner At Sea, but there have been few renewals that compare to the cosmopolitan nature of the field that lined up for the $150,000 feature at Rosehill on Saturday.
Peter and Paul Snowden's highly-rated French import George Patton, a Kentucky bred son of War Front, made his Australian debut alongside the former Hong Kong Group II winner Beauty Flame (IRE), an Irish-bred son of Footstepsinthesand, who also won the Britannia Stakes at Ascot back in 2013.
Add in Qatar Bloodstock's Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas runner-up Endless Drama (IRE) (Lope de Vega) then there was something for everyone in the 1400 metre sprint.
But the inform Lanciato saw them all off, much to the delight of the vendors of 16 yearlings by his sire Per Incanto in Book 1 of the NZB Premier Yearling Sale. (photo Steve Hart)
The Mark Newnham-trained gelding looked to be in trouble when Rachel King was trapped between runners with nowhere to go with 200 metres to run but when he saw some daylight Lanciato quickly gathered in the leaders to win running away by three-quarters of a length from the game topweight Prized Icon, who conceded the winner 7kgs, with Endless Drama (IRE) a nose back in third.
Newnham said he has no doubt that the firm tracks in Sydney have been the winning formula for Lanciato.
"He loves 1400 metres and he loves these dry tracks," Newnham said.
"We were in a spot of bother there with 200m to go but full credit to Rachel she held her nerve, waited for the right time and had faith in the horse.
"I was surprised he was able to balance up so quick and hit the line that well."
Lanciato will likely make his next in the Group III Newcastle Newmarket (1400m) on March 9.
"I'd say I'll give him a trial before the race at Newcastle and then see what happens from there," Newnham said.
"I'll put in a nom for him (in the Doncaster). That's been in the back of my mind. The other thing that has been in the back of my mind is we usually get wet tracks that time of year."
Winner of two of his seven starts in New Zealand when trained by Stephen Marsh, Lanciato has won four of his last five starts for Newnham taking his overall record to 6 wins, 3 seconds and 4 starts from 19 starts with earnings of $296,530.
Not offered as a yearling, Lanciato is the third named foal of the winning O'Reilly mare Surreptitious whose pedigree is largely devoid of stakes winners until the fourth generation.
