Quick Thinker lived up to his name at Rosehill on Saturday winning the Group 3 Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m) in impressive fashion for trainer Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman.
The heavy track posed a few questions for the three-year-old by So You Think, but the lightly raced speedster raced away comfortably down the straight after swooping in late.
Quick Thinker made the journey from across the ditch just in time for a first-up start on Saturday. Jockey Hugh Bowman made full use of his rides blistering turn of foot, storming home to win by just over a length and a half.
“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” Bowman said after the race.
“The stable weren’t confident that he’d handle it. The fact that he can do that first-up. He was prepared to run well but I don’t think they were that confident – they certainly didn’t show that to me before the race. It was a lovely surprise to have him win like that.”
Bowman has won the Ming Dynasty in the past, also for Baker aboard Lion Tamer in 2011. The pair went on to win the Victorian Derby two months later, a fate Forsman is hoping to repeat.
“Hughie 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” Forsman said.
Opening at $12.00 ahead of Saturday’s race, Quick Thinker has now firmed from $51.00 into $26.00 ahead of the Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas (1600m) and $15.00 into $12.00 for this year’s Victoria Derby (2500m).