Unheralded three-year-old Old Fashioned fired a shot across the bows of his age-group rivals as he produced a quality effort to take out the Gr.2 The Foxes @ Novara Park Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) at Hastings on Saturday at just his second raceday start.
The statuesque son of Rich Hill Stud stallion Proisir had created quite an impression with a comfortable win at Wanganui in his only start as a two-year-old before being put aside for a winter break.
Fitted for the Hastings feature with two trials by trainer Bill Thurlow, Old Fashioned went into the race as a well-supported $8 Fixed Odds chance and didn’t let his supporters down as he dented plenty of reputations in the hands of rider Kelly Myers.
Myers had her mount travelling easily three-back against the inside rail for most of the 1400m journey before easing one-off the fence entering the home straight as a gap presented itself at the 300m.
Old Fashioned showed a quick burst of speed as he shot to the lead and never looked like flinching as race favourite Asturia ($3.80) and Raymond ($12) flashed at him in the last 100m, but came up short in their pursuit.
Myers was effusive in her praise for her mount, who she believes has untapped potential.
“I don’t know what to say about this horse as he is massive and has just got gears,” Myers said. “I tried to play the patient game and thought the gap would come. It did come and I asked him, but he takes a few strides (to wind up) and then he says just kidding and finds another gear.
“I thought he was very dominant today.
“I wasn’t that stoked to draw barrier one as I didn’t think it was the best draw given he is such a big horse, and he goes well when ridden cold.
“You can’t throw away a good draw like that and he is pretty adaptable, so you can ride him anywhere.
“The world is his oyster and with a turn of foot like that, he is pretty exciting. He has only had the one start, but he raced like a professional today.”
Thurlow said he held a high opinion of the horse but had chosen to keep quiet and let his charge put runs on the board.
“He has always shown us a lot, but we’ve sort of stayed away from the hype and let him do the talking,” he said. “Today he has done that as we were very confident, but it is a horse race.
“We drew barrier one and had to use that, but he has heaps of gate speed and although we had ridden him back at the trials to teach him, we can ride him anywhere as he is such a good horse.
“He has a good turn of foot that most horses don’t have. We knew we had him ready, it was just a matter of whether he could do it.
“Matt and Diana (owners) love him, and he will stay here with them for the time being.”
Bred and raced by Matthew Goodson and Diana Perron under their Goodson and Perron Family Trust banner, Old Fashioned was passed in at the NZB Ready to Run Sale shy of his $150,000 reserve.
He is the second living foal of the Rip Van Winkle mare Contrary Mary and is now the $5 second favourite in the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) Fixed Odds market behind System Of Play ($4). - LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
