New Zealand-bred three-year-old Hello Captain returned to winning form with a dominant performance in Saturday's Find Your Stakes Winner @ The Chase Handicap (1300m) at Rosehill.
The Chris Waller-trained son of Hello Youmzain (Fr) was sent out the $1.65 favourite and justified the support, settling comfortably before apprentice Siena Grima produced him and the gelding proved far too good for his rivals.
Waller believes the sky is the limit for Hello Captain should he be able to extend out in trip.
"In terms of distance, I think he can get to a mile and if he can get to a mile, he can get to a good race. Maybe an Epsom Handicap (Gr.1, 1600m)," Waller said.
"Timing-wise, it's hard to predict when he gets there, and distance-wise we're still learning about the horse.
"But he's settling better than he has ever settled before and he's showing a good turn of foot."
Given time to find his feet by stable apprentice Siena Grima, Hello Captain ($1.65 fav) enjoyed an unimpeded run down to score by 2-1/4 lengths over Sequista ($7.50), who ran her usual honest race, with Attractiveness ($9) third.
The gelding's win made amends for his last start fourth to Cheeky Smirk when he was badly strung up for a run before flashing home when finally given clear air.
While Waller believes Hello Captain has the potential to measure up to stakes grade, in the short term he is content for the horse to ply his trade in Saturday company and build his bank account.
"Sydney races, they're worth $160,000 every Saturday, fifty-two weeks a year," Waller said.
"It's hard to knock it back when they're on every week, so I think we keep going through his grades.
"Maybe he doesn't have to run every two weeks like we normally do. We can pick out a race in three or four weeks, and we might get longevity out of him that way."
Hello Captain gave Grima a double after her earlier win aboard exciting two-year-old Omolong, drawing her level with Braith Nock in the race for the Sydney apprentices' premiership.
The highest priced yearling for his sire Hello Youmzain, Hello Captain was purchased for $425,000 by Chris Waller Racing and Mulcaster Bloodstock from the draft of Cambridge Stud at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale, and is raced by Christchurch owner Glenn Ritchie.
The talented galloper is out of the Pivotal mare Steer By The Stars who has produced four winners from five foals to race, including the European stakes victor Never Look Back and Hello Captain's full brother Persian Wonder, who was runner-up in the Gr.3 Baillieu Handicap (1400m) in March for David Payne. – NZ Racing Desk
