Classy colt Longma recorded an impressive eight length victory on debut in the Ballarat Gold Rush Maiden at Werribee today that has trainer Mick Price thinking about a Caulfield Guineas tilt for the son of Sebring.
Longma took up the running in the early stages of the race and stormed away from the rest of the field, coming around the final bend, before cantering home for an effortless victory.
Jockey Craig Newitt clearly eased Longma up in the final 100 metres of the race and said he could not believe how easy the win was.
“He barely got out of neutral, he just put himself in cruise control and was never going to lose,” Newitt told TVN after the race.
Price, who has only had the colt in work for fifty-five days, was just as impressed with the win and said he was confident Longma could be a Group level performer during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival.
“He’s very smart and very impressive, a Group horse coming,” Price said after the race.
“Craig Thompson, who manages him, has a target set on the Caulfield Guineas.
“He’s beaten most of the colts we have in work here and he’s a different horse in blinkers.”
Longma’s next start is expected to be in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday August 7 before pressing on to the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on the 12th of October.
Mick Price could have a very strong hand for the 2013 Caulfield Guineas with his other impressive colt Worth A Ransom, who scored a dominant five and half-length win on debut at Echuca, also likely to be targeted at the race.