With his baldy face and flaxen mane, powerhouse chestnut colt Standout is an easy horse to spot in a race and he proved too good for the older sprinters when powering clear to win the Group II ATC Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday.
The Gerald Ryan trained son of Exceed and Excel was resuming from a spell after an initial campaign that saw him win his first three starts before finishing second in the Group II ATC Roman Consul Stakes.
Tuned up with two recent trials, Standout settled off the pace for Tommy Berry and cruised to the lead before comfortably holding the challenge of race favourite, Alizee, a triple Group I winner of nearly $3million in prizemoney.
“I think the way he won today and the way Tommy rode him, you could aim him at anything,” said Gerald Ryan.
“He’s always shown us Group I ability. He hasn’t got there yet, but he’ll have a crack at it this autumn.”
Here is what Gerald Ryan has to say about his rising star, who has the imposing record of four wins and a second from five starts with earnings in excess of $300,000.
Bred and retained to race by George Altomonte’s Corumbene Stud, Standout is a full brother to Group I ATC Golden Slipper winner Overreach and Group III placed Outreach, who stands at Widden Stud and had his first winner during the week.
He is the fifth winner from six to race from former smart Snippets mare Bahia, a half-sister to Group I MRC Blue Diamond winner and leading Victorian sire Reward for Effort, who is also by Standout’s sire Exceed and Excel.
Corumbene Stud will offer the full brother to Standout at Inglis Easter as Lot 342, but unlike his flashy chestnut brother he is a bay like Golden Slipper winner Overreach.
Bahia was covered by Darley’s champion sire Exceed and Excel again last spring.
