With quality efforts behind handy horses in his first three starts, trainer Chris Waller crossed the border to Victoria with instant success for the Star Thoroughbreds raced Crossbow, with the well-marked son of Better Than Ready breaking through for an impressive win.
In the small field of just five runners, Crossbow started the second elect behind last start winner Exit (Bivouac), with the pair settling second last and last in the field.
As Tagaloa gelding Our Chief led the field into the straight, the Annabel and Rob Archibald trained last start winning Zoustar colt Hillier commenced to challenge the leader, but it was short lived as Ben Melham aboard Crossbow was winding up strongly.
While Exit was starting to make ground down the outside, Crossbow made every post a winner, charging away in a dominant display to score by a length and a quarter, clearly appreciating the expansive Flemington track.
Stable rep Lizzie Collett was very happy with Crossbow’s effot.
“He did everything the right way really,” staid Collett.
"Ben gave him a terrific ride, and he was able to put them away quite easily in the end.
“The way he’s progressing, I’m sure there’s some nice races in sight.”
Melham felt the the bigger Flemington track really help Crossbow break through.
“My bloke’s two runs this time in have been full of merit. Getting to Flemington, he just looked like he’d been dying for a big track, and just to stay out of trouble,” said Melham.
“I was able to sort of just be comfortable on him – he began well, he did everything right, he was a gentleman.
“He was just able to go through his gears nicely, rather than sort of rushing at the last minute like he had to do last start.
“He feels progressive to me, and he’s got a lovely nature. He was no dramas then and solid through the line at seven (furlongs), so he should get a mile and maybe further.”
Taking his record to a win and two second placed efforts from four starts, the manner in which the gelding won suggests there are better thing in store.
Purchased for $160,000 by Star Thoroughbreds and Randwick Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) from the Yarramalong Park draft at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale, Crossbow is the lone winner from two to the races out of the Listed-winning, Group 1 Santa Anita American Oaks fourth placed Archarcharch mare Dreamarcher.
The mare foaled a full-brother to Crossbow in October last year and will unfortunately not have a foal this season after missing to the Yarramalong Park-bred Group 3 winner Alpine Edge (Better Than Ready) in his first season at stud last year.
The sire of 15 stakes winners led by Group 1 winners Apache Chase and Port Lockroy, Better Than Read is also the sire of the Star Thoroughbreds raced Chrysaor, himself a Group 2 winner of more than $1.2m in earnings.
Better Than Ready, the Champion Australian First Season Sire of his year, will stand this season at Lyndhurst Farm at a fee of $27,500 (inc. GST).
