One of the stable stars for champion trainer Chris Waller is Torryburn Stud bred and sold colt Home Affairs, but he might have another Torryburn graduate poised to make his mark in the autumn with this debut winner at Sandown on Wednesday catching the eye of good judges.
Three year-old Fastnet Rock gelding Straight Arron has been given plenty of time to mature, trialling earlier in the year in Sydney in July and August before spelling and reappearing with a good barrier trial second at Canterbury on December 21.
Dispatched to Melbourne for a 1400m maiden, he was ridden quietly by Damien Oliver and unleashed a big finish to power home and win by three-quarters of a length in class record time over race favourite The Economist with more than six lengths back to the third horse.
“He looks like he’ll naturally progress to further,” Oliver said after the race.
“He was pretty good in the run until I got to the front and then he didn’t really know what to do.
“The ears pricked and he waited.
“He feels like a horse that will get over further, no trouble at all and there’s more improvement to come as he still doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
A $270,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Chris Waller Racing from the Torryburn Stud draft, Straight Arron runs in the Hermitage colours that have enjoyed so much Group I success with Waller trained horses such as The Autumn Sun, September Run and Egg Tart.
Straight Arron has a pedigree that screams classic potential as he is the first winner for talented Tavistock stayer Imperial Lass, who was second in the Group I BRC Queensland Oaks and is a three-quarter sister-in-blood to Group I Australian Derby winner Tavago.
He is also closely related to this season’s stakes-winning 2YO Fastnet Rock filly Bright Blue Sky.
It’s the famed New Zealand My Tricia family that has produced countless Group I winners and two Australian Horse of the Year winners in Lonhro and Lankan Rupee.
Imperial Lass was covered last spring by Wootton Bassett (GB).
