Jim Collett won’t commit to a Group One date with Red Striker yet, but he is leaving the door open for the pint-sized sprinter.
“The Railway is at set weights and penalties and that probably won’t suit her,” the Matamata trainer said.
“We’ll have a crack at the Newmarket first and then we’ll see what happens after that.”Red Striker earned a start in the Listed event at Ellerslie on Boxing Day with a commanding victory on the Auckland course in Saturday’s JR Webb & Son Handicap.
She was making the third appearance of her current preparation after a runner-up finish when in need of the outing at Te Awamutu and then a fifth placing at Tauranga after being caught wide.“She hasn’t had any luck really and she had an awkward run last time out,” Collett said. “The race suited her today with a lot of speed and pressure early.”
Ridden by his daughter Samantha, Red Striker sat at the back of the field but once she was asked to sprint in the straight she quickly bounded to the front to win with a minimum of effort.“She’s one of my all-time favourites - she’s barely 14.2 hands,” she said. “She towed me into the race and she’s just a flying machine. She’s done everything herself, I was just the passenger.”
Biggin Hill, trained by Jim Collett’s brother Richard, ran on well for second ahead of his stablemate Cartell, who did well after racing three and four wide.The favourite Passing Shot led to the turn, but showed little fight in the run home and finished a tame fourth.
