Toorak Toff Impresses In Sandown Debut

 

October’s Caulfield Guineas is the long term mission for Toorak Toff after that exciting youngster debuted with a super impressive win in the Midnight Fever Super Vobis Plate (1200m) at Sandown today.

Rick Hore-Lacy has a big opinion of Toorak Toff and the son of Show a Heart lived up to expectations with a brilliant length and a quarter victory.

Toorak Toff was purchased by part owner Bill Van Rooy for $135,000 from the draft of Glenlogan Park Stud at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

“He does look pretty smart doesn’t he,” Hore-Lacy said. “It’s hard to win first up in a Saturday city race, but if you’ve got a bit of class you can do it.”

“He might be a pretty nice colt – we might look at a race like the (VRC) Sires’ Produce for him – it’s in six weeks time over 1400 (metres) at Flemington.”

“He’ll maybe have one (more run) in three weeks time between now and then.”

“The Caulfield Guineas in the spring might be a nice race for him.”

Back in the field early, Toorak Toff came with a brilliant finishing burst between runners to reel in the leaders and race clear to win by a length and a quarter.

Winning rider Chris Symons couldn’t help but be impressed by the win of the flashy chestnut youngster.

“He was a real professional when the gates opened. He did a great job, was really relaxed and to take narrow gaps like he did at his start was pretty impressed.”

Chris Symons“He’s a nice horse with a real bright future,” Symons summed up.

Glenlogan Park, who bred and sold Toorak Toff, have his yearling half brother by Bradbury’s Luck heading to March’s Magic Millions QTIS 600 Yearling Sale.

“He’s a lovely big strong horse,” Glenlogan’s Steve Morley said. “He’s got plenty of bone and he’s a really good shaped horse.”

“We considered entering him for the main sale but we wanted to keep some nice types back for the QTIS 600 Sale and he certainly fits into that mould.”

“He looks more of a precocious type than Toorak Toff. He doesn’t look like he will take as much time.”

“In saying that the half brother has obviously got the ability and when I spoke to Rick earlier in the week he was confident he’d be winning.”

“Show a Heart is not a known sire of two-year-olds – but he had Mimi Lebrock as well – so he can certainly get them.”

“And the great thing is that the Show a Heart’s really train on,” Morley added.

Meanwhile, the first race at Sandown today continued the impressive run of Coolmore Stud stallion Fastnet Rock with Fast Talker scoring a fighting win.

A member of the Lee Freedman stable, Fast Talker is now a dual Melbourne winner and stakes placed twice from just 11 starts.

“She’s a real fighter and it was a great ride from Jason,” Freedman’s foreman Sam Pritchard-Gordon said.

Fast Talker, who is from the stakes winning Distorted Humor mare Crystal Wit, was purchased for $320,000 from the draft of Yarraman Park Stud at the 2008 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.