News

Brilliant debut has Sebring colt on Guineas trail

18th Jul 2013

Stallions - News Team - Wednesday, 17 July 2013

Trainer Mick Price has the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) in mind for Longma (Sebring – Yes She Cancan, by Canny Lad) after the two—year-old colt hammered his older rivals on debut at Werribee.

Longma trialled twice in Perth for trainer Trevor Andrews before his WA owners shipped him to Victoria for Price to prepare for the upcoming spring carnival.

The youngster gave his opposition no chance as his jockey Craig Newitt controlled the race from the front, putting his rivals under pressure from the 500 metres.

Longma quickened brilliantly when Newitt asked him for an effort but the jockey was not keen to overtax the debutant on the heavy ground, easing up on him late, but he still had eight lengths to spare at the finish.

Newitt said Longma “never got out of neutral” in running and had his opposition covered a long way out.

“He just put himself in cruise control and was never going to lose,” Newitt said.

Price said the son of Widden Stud stallion Sebring would have a short break before he prepared the outstanding prospect for the stallion-making Caulfield Guineas.

“Craig Thompson, who manages him, has a target set on the Caulfield Guineas,” Price said.

“He’s beaten most of the colts we have in work here. He’s a different horse in blinkers.”

Price said the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington in September would be Longma’s next outing.

Buyers passed in Longma (pictured as weanling) for $125,000 at the 2011 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale.

The rising three-year-old is a three-quarter brother to South African Group 1 winner Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready – Yes She Cancan, by Canny Lad) and a half-brother to the 2012 Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) winner Ofcourseican (Mossman – Yes She Cancan, by Canny Lad).