Winning Horse: Star Patrol (Aus)

3yoG Starspangledbanner (Aus) - It's One (Aus)(O'reilly (NZ))

9 starts - 3 wins 2 seconds 1 third 1 fourth $179450

Other Wins

1st Flemington Flt Lt Peter Armytage Hcp 1200m (2022)

1st Pakenham Country Club Warragul Mdn 1200m (2022)

Other Placings

2nd Doomben Bay Building Services Mdn 1350m (2021)

3rd Doomben Brc Membership Mdn Plate 1200m (2021)

2nd Sunshine Coast Idss Mdn Hcp 1300m (2021)

Race Result:

1st: Star Patrol (B Prebble/C McDonald) - $1.35F

2nd: Treporti (J McNeil/D O’Brien) - $26
3rd: Outback Action (L Meech/P Moody) - $5.50

Winning Time: 1:02.45 Last 600m: N/A

Margins: 2 lengths x ¾ lengths

Winning Trainer: Clinton McDonald

On the performance: “I was a bit worried but the best part was the last 100m he really got into his work and was strong through the line. Looking at going back to 1200m I think that’s the distance that will really suit him. He’s shown good courage, he’s fighting out the finish which is good to see.”

Still learning: “You could see once again today he started to float a little bit and Brett had to put the whip into the left, then he straightened up and found the line strongly. He’s still learning, he’s a big baby really and I think that’s what happened early in his career, he was winning trials then getting to raceday and just wasn’t ready maturity wise.”

Next run: “He’ll go to the Creswick 1200m (Listed 3YO), then have a three week break after that.”

Winning Jockey: Brett Prebble

Greenness: “He’s still a big baby in a sense, he jumped out neutral today and the first 50m he never really took the bridle and I thought he’s going to be a couple of lengths off them, then once he gets up into his stride he really becomes strong and wants to be competitive and start racing.”

How to ride the horse: “In the future I’m not going to take that off him, he’s a fast horse, he’s a speed horse so let him be fast. 1200m is really his trip, I think the high cruising speed drops a lot of horses and they can’t sustain his gallop. That’s the difference between the good ones and bad ones, they can’t sustain their sprint.”

How does he measure up: “Clinton keeps saying ‘times don't lie’, he didn’t have much weight today or last time but he’s running the times and he doesn't really know what he’s doing so if he improves with natural progression he’s a pretty exciting horse.”