Better known for their European imports, OTI Racing has unearthed a potential three-year-old star following the Ming Dynasty Quality win of New Zealand-based colt Quick Thinker.
Starting at $11 and ridden by Hugh Bowman in his Australian debut, the Kiwi colt powered home late over the 1400-metre trip to score a soft win and in doing so indicated some of the elite middle-distance three-year-old spring races were within his range.
“He might be a special horse,” OTI Racing’s Terry Henderson said. “He really has impressed all of the way through and I know Murray (Baker) and Andrew (Forsman) have had a great opinion of him.
“He hasn’t put a foot wrong so far.”
Henderson admitted he wasn’t confident before the race as the Rosehill track was rated a Heavy 9 and a number of horses had struggled in the conditions earlier in the meeting.
“I wouldn’t have thought today would have been his day because of a wet track over 1400 metres,” Henderson said.
“I thought he would have needed the 2000 metres but to see him hit the line like that on a track like that, it is very exciting.
“This horse hadn’t trialled well. He certainly goes far better right-handed than left-handed. His trials were very plain. I saw the first one with Murray in New Zealand and it was a little plain, the second one was as well – he hung.
“This direction, far better and he’s a serious horse I think.
“We’ve set him for the Spring Champion Stakes first hoping that he would obviously get there. On what he has done today, I hope he can stay.”
Quick Thinker, who is by dual Cox Plate champion So You Think, holds entries for spring’s Caulfield Guineas and Cox Plate.
After getting back in the field, Quick Thinker got to the middle of the track in the home straight and he powered home to beat Aspect Ratio by two lengths, with five lengths to Reformist in third place.
View the race replay below:
Co-trainer Andrew Forsman said he also had no idea of what to expect from Quick Thinker.
“He had two trials back home on very similar conditions and he hadn’t really gone that well,” Forsman said. “We thought he might have been a colt being a bit fussy. We weren’t sure what sort of horse would turn up today.
“We thought he was good enough and that’s why we came here today.
“He looked a little bit in trouble coming to the top of the straight and he had a lot to do but won with authority in the end and I think that’s a sign of a good horse.
“Hughie (Bowman) won this race for us on Lion Tamer a few years ago and he went on to do good things so hopefully this guy can do the same.”
Bowman said: “What I admire most about this horse is his tenacity to win.
“I can see him being every bit as effective on top of the ground. The stable weren’t confident that he’d handle it. It was a lovely surprise to have him win like that.
“It’s very exciting. It certainly opens up options. The way he went today, I wouldn’t be thinking too far ahead – just stepping him up over the longer races to see how he progresses.”