Winning Horse: Direct (Aus)

4yoG Siyouni (Fr) - Upfront (USA)(War Front (USA))

15 starts - 4 wins 5 seconds 3 thirds $352725

Black Type Placings

3rd G2 Rosehill Iron Jack Silver Slipper Stks 1100m (2021)

Other Wins

1st Moonee Valley Ladbrokes 55 Second Challenge Heat 3 955m (2022)

1st Mornington Ibuild Group Handicap 1000m (2022)

1st Cranbourne Hygain Mdn Plate 1000m (2021)

Other Placings

3rd Sandown-Hillside Thoroughbred Club (Bm64) 1000m (2022)

2nd Ballarat Hygain Winners Choice (Bm64) 1000m (2022)

2nd Moonee Valley Ladbrokes 55 Sec Challenge-C1 955m (2022)

2nd Flemington The Schweppervescence Plate 1000m (2021)

3rd Caulfield Pinchapoo Plate 1000m (2021)

2nd Moonee Valley Mia Kleer Hand Sanitiser Hcp 1000m (2021)

2nd Moonee Valley Ladbrokes Plate 1000m (2020) (Debut Run)

Race Result:

1st: Direct (L Kennewell/Z Spain) - $5.50

2nd: A Little Deep (C Maher & D Eustace/E Brown) - $5 fav
3rd: Penthouse (M Dale/L Meech) - $7.50

Winning Time: 1:08.91 Last 600m: N/A

Margins: 1-1/4L x 1/2L

Winning Trainer: Lloyd Kennewell

Script was perfect: “It turned out perfect. Zac executed my plan perfectly. I couldn’t have asked for anything better really. It was a painless watch. I Had to turn the radio off, the TV off, everyone was saying he couldn’t run 1100 (metres) but he was clearly the best horse in the race and he won like it.”

Gelding operation has been the making of him: “It’s a shame. I thought he was one of the best colts in the sale when I bought him. I paid $400,000 for him. I specked him, I had no owners for him. I do that a lot though.

“He’s a 20 or 30 million dollar colt if he had won a Group 1, but he’s not. Here we are now, everyone’s happy and he’ll be on the float to the Gold Coast.”

What race: “A race I have won before, The Snippets with Viddora. He’s a different horse to her. She was going there as a Group 1 winner. This horse is a good horse and he is progressive. We’ll head up there, he likes a bit of the warm weather and we can enjoy it with a nice team that will be going up there.”

Winning Jockey: Zac Spain

Rode to perfection: “He’s racing in terrific form since he’s come back as a gelding. He’s doing it the right way. He’s settling well. There were doubters about him getting 1100 (metres), but he was strong. He got to the front and had a good look around, but if something came at him, he would have gone again.”

Perfect plan: “He always flies the barriers and I just wanted to hold a straight line from the barriers and I knew there was going to be good pace from out wide. I just let them cross, he settled really well, and like I said he got there early and had a good look around.”

Good horse for me: “We’re three from three now. He’s been a good little horse to me and hopefully the partnership can keep going.”