Front Rank (AUS)
3 g Snitzel – In The Vanguard by Encosta De Lago
O: Go Bloodstock Australia
B: Go Bloodstock Australia
T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
W: Toyota Forklifts Maiden Handicap, 1250m, May 27, Canterbury
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Front Rank (Snitzel) made a winning debut on Wednesday when landing a 1250-metre maiden at Canterbury.
Having won one of his four trials prior to this debut, the three-year-old gelding showed the benefit of that prior experience as he proved 2.6 lengths too strong for Incremental (Circus Maximus) under jockey Tim Clark.
There was a further half-length back to the third-placed Artgirl (Flying Artie).
“Tim [Clark] was very confident on the horse that he was on. He went out with a game plan and was able to execute that,” said Bott.
“Probably had to do a little bit more work than he wanted to get there, but again, he was backing the horse’s fitness and ability, because he sustained that very well.
“We’ve been able to just take our time and that’s what’s so good about being able to train for Sir Owen Glenn and Steve O’Connor and the team at Go Bloodstock. They’re able to give you the time, whatever the horses need and we’ve been able to do that with this horse.
“He’s had two nice little quiet trials coming through today just to educate him and he’s been able to put it all together nicely.
“It’s probably a nice time of year for a horse like him to just try and pick up a bit of confidence and go through his grades.”
Bred and raced by Sir Owen Glenn’s Go Bloodstock, Front Rank is a full-brother to Group 1 winner turned stallion Sword Of State.
He is the third winner from four foals to race out of the Group 2-placed Encosta De Lago (Fairy King) mare In The Vanguard, herself a daughter of Group 2 winner Sharp (Danzero) and a half-sister to the dam of Group 3 scorer Recuperato (Farnan).
In The Vanguard was covered last spring by Snitzel’s (Redoute’s Choice) Group 1-winning son Switzerland at Coolmore.