The former French raced, and English-bred, Permit finally broke through for his first Australian success when the Chris Waller trained five-year-old took out the $70,000 Schweppes Handicap 80 (2200m) at Warwick Farm.
It is a long way from Longchamp in Paris, where Permit had placed n Group 3 company over 3016m under Maxime Guyon back in September 2010, to Warwick Farm, with unsuccessful racing in Melbourne last winter on the way.
However Sydney life and stable environment have worked well with a first up second at Canterbury over 1900m in Bm75 company on November 26 followed by a good trial placing before Saturday's race.
Rawiller sat back on Permit as a decent pace was set up front by the stablemate Mikiyama.
Rawiller was in fourth being towed along nicely on Permit. He then started to move entering the turn into the main straight and they had 2L to make up on the leaders. There as a line up from Mikiyama, Cyber Crime and Scouting Wide, and as the $3.10 favourite Mikiyama tired on the inside Rawiller went out to a gap between Cyber Crime and Scouting Wide.
He had stoked Permit up as they approached the 200m and Permit was through the gap with a decent turn of foot. From there Rawiller had no problem setting the radar firmly on the finish line, and they won with 1 3/4L in hand.
Scouting Wide held second with Saint Saiala third, the margin 1/2L, and Cyber Crime fourth. The time was 2.17.07 on the Good 3 track with the final 600m in 35.23. Permit paid $4.40 on NSW TAB.
It was a winning double for Waller at the meeting after his earlier win with Daymo.
“He has fitted in very well since arriving with us,” said Waller.
'Today was a big step as to where he is at. I think the writing was on the wall in his trial before today and he trailed very well over 1000m.
“The owners have obviously invested a lot of money in the horse and he has just taken a bit of time to acclimatise. But fortunately he likes Sydney and there are more wins in store.
“He is a nice horse and there is no right or wrong with these horses. It is a matter of getting them to be happy,” he said.
“It took him a little while to wind up at Canterbury and he not the sort of horse you can put the stick on in a staying race. Today I had a beautiful run and I was rapt in his trial and he brought that to the race today,” said Rawiller.
Permit is by Danslii out of the Swain mare Cochin and he is owned by M Watt, P Barnett, M Burn, R Craigie, C Pidcock, Ms L Barker and Andrew Ramsden's Gurners Bloodstock Co. His previous Australian earnings were $11,265 so Saturday's stake of $42,000 was an important addition to the ledger.
Overall his record now stands at three wins from 13 starts and three placings with stakes of $128,156.
