A full brother to Cambridge Stud’s exciting young sire Sword of State, this well bred three year-old made a winning debut at Canterbury on Wednesday for the Waterhouse Bott stable.
A three-year-old gelding by Snitzel that was retained to race by Sir Owen Glenn’s Go Bloodstock, Front Rank has been a work in progress with four previous trials, two of them this year.
Sent forward by Tim Clark in the 1250m maiden, Front Rank burnt off his rivals at the top of the straight and strolled home to win by two and a half lengths.
While Sword of State was a brilliant Group I winning juvenile in New Zealand, Front Rank has required patience that may well be rewarded.
“Tim was very confident on the horse that he was on. He went out with a game plan and was able to execute that,” said Adrian Bott.
“Probably had to do a little bit more work than he wanted to get there, but again, he was backing the horse’s fitness and ability, because he sustained that very well.
“We’ve been able to just take our time and that's what's so good about being able to train for Sir Owen Glenn and Steve O'Connor and the team at Go Bloodstock. They're able to give you the time, whatever the horses need and we’ve been able to do that with this horse.
“He's had two nice little quiet trials coming through today just to educate him and he's been able to put it all together nicely.
“It's probably a nice time of year for a horse like him to just try and pick up a bit of confidence and go through his grades.”
Front Rank is the third winner from four foals to race from Group II placed Encosta de Lago mare In the Vanguard, a daughter of Group II winner Sharp and half-sister to the dam of Group III winner Recuperato.
In The Vanguard was covered last spring by Snitzel’s Group I winning son Switzerland at Coolmore.
