Gai Waterhouse has been enjoying a super season with her two year-olds, adding two new juvenile winners to the tally with victories for More Than Ready (USA) colt Rampaging and Strategic filly Valerio at Canterbury on Wednesday.
The two winners took Waterhouse's haul to 11 individual two-year-old winners for the season, hot on the back of her Listed race double delivered by Driefontein and Raceway last Saturday at Warwick Farm.
The first of Waterhouse's two Canterbury winners came courtesy of Rampaging, who came from the back half of the field to reel in the leaders down the straight.
He careered away to win the 1250 metre maiden as he pleased, beating the Peter Snowden-trained Bradman by the best part of two lengths.
"He lost his rudder 600 metres from home but when I put his mind back on the job he was a different horse," winning rider Nash Rawiller said.
"He travelled up really well, hit the front a bit too soon but he got it done.
"To me he's a horse with very good ability but he's more of a three-year-old so whatever we can get out of him at the moment is a bit of a bonus."
Rampaging (pictured above as a yearling) was an $80,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Makybe draft at the 2011 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and is the first winner for Flying Spur mare Fountain Joy, a half-sister to Group III placed Behind from the family of slick stakes-winners Happy Giggle and Living Spirit.
He is bred on a red hot cross being by More Than Ready (USA) from a daughter of Flying Spur, the cross producing Golden Slipper winner Sebring and this season's two year-old stakes-winners Raceway and Cambiaso, as well as metropolitan debut winner Later Gator.
Current stats for the cross show it has produced 19 winners from 31 runners, five of them stakes-winners.
A race later it was the turn of Valerio, who created a good impression on debut to give Rawiller a double in the 1100 metre maiden for fillies.
Valerio made the most of a good getaway to settle behind the speed before securing clear running in the straight and she strode home strongly to grab the luckless Chris Waller-trained galloper Kristy Lee in the last stride.
"I can't wait until the blinkers go on it will make my job a lot easier," Rawiller said.
"She got really lost midrace, she was racing awkward between horses and she again got lost on the home turn.
"She did a good job in the end I thought to pick up and win."
Valerio is a homebred for Turangga Farm's Stuart Ramsay and is the second winner for Red Ransom (USA) mare Dianthus, a half-sister to Group III winner Our Bellition from stakes-winner Slightly Pink.
