Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou know how to place a horse to advantage and did so accordingly with talented three year-old Super Seth gelding Sanctified, who broke his maiden at Canterbury on Wednesday and picked up a $100,000 Inglis Xtra bonus for his efforts.
The most experienced runner in the race with a third in Group III Canberra Black Opal last season and a fifth in the Inglis Millennium, Sanctified got under the guard of punters despite finishing second at his first two runs back this spring in strong maiden company.
Ridden quietly this time by Kerrn McEvoy, he hit the front with a furlong to run in the 1200m maiden and kept going to win by the best part of a length beating $1.3million Justify (USA) colt Condone, who ran well on debut.
With a win and four placings from seven starts, Sanctified was a $260,000 Inglis Classic purchase for his trainers from the Lime Country Thoroughbreds draft and runs for a huge group of owners.
Gerald Ryan was well pleased to collect the $100,000 bonus for his owners which boosts the prizemoney total of Sanctified to nearly $220,000.
“That’s why he was here today,” Ryan said.
“I've done his form, which you do for your own horse a lot of the time, but I reckon his two best runs were in the Millennium and the Black Opal, and both times he was ridden quiet.
“I reckon his other starts he's gone short on them, and that's why I wanted to ride him quieter today. I thought he might have been a bit further back, but when Kerrin lobbed there on him it was lovely.”
Sanctified is the best of three winners from three foals to race from Sacred Siren, a winning O’Reilly mare from the family of Group III winner Seize the Moment and stakes-winner Savour the Moment.
