But the powerfully built colt gives every indication he is on his way to stardom after winning effortlessly in his first two outings in Australia.
He was the $1.70 favorite when he raced without cover before charging to the front 550 meters from home and storming away to win by two lengths with odds of $23. The Final Offer in the 1730 meters Westral Verishade Curtains Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday evening.
Patriarch, trained by Michael Young and piloted by Emily Suvaljko, scored 1.55.2 after the final 400-meter sections of 27.9 seconds. and 28.3 sec.
This victory followed his Australian debut at Gloucester Park ten days earlier, when he raced wide early and then into the wind before winning by five lengths from Methuselah, rating 1.55.8 over 2130 metres.
PATRIACH-REPEAT
Patriarch has clearly inherited much of the brilliance of his father Lazarus, who earned $4,125,988 from 37 wins and 12 placings from 51 starts, including his victory in the 2017 Interdominion Championship at Gloucester Park.
Patriarch is the sixth foal out of the New Zealand mare Motu Make A Splash, a daughter of the American sire Lis Mara, who as a four-year-old rode four times in modest company in New Zealand before one victory over 1609m in Rangiora in April 2015.
Motu Make A Splash’s first five foals Hugo George (37 starts for four wins, seven placings and $33,080), Write About Angus (79 starts for six country wins, 19 placings and $47,941), National News (37 starts for eight wins in moderate company, 11 placings and $64,607), Sporty Reporter (three starts for a 13th, 10th and 8th) and Vince Almighty (13th in his only start) performed only modestly.
“Patriarch is still quite green and at the back he didn’t want to run past the leader Nite Sniper on the last lap,” said Suvaljko. “His two runs here have proven that he is quite strong.”
Young agreed, saying: “Patriarch seems to be quite strong, and he doesn’t seem to mind racing in the wind, and you would expect him to go faster when he finds the front in his races.
“He was impressive in winning in his first two starts here. It’s probably a shame we didn’t get him here a little earlier because he wouldn’t have looked out of place in the Golden Slipper. He’s a nice big, strong horse that wasn’t cheap or crazy expensive.”
Young, who leads the state trainers with 112 winners, completed a double on Friday evening when Gary Hall jnr rode four-year-old mare Majestic Ga Ga, the $2.30 favourite, to victory in the Westral Honeycomb Blinds Handicap for trotters.
Majestic Ga Ga started safely from the 30 yards and ran through from fourth (one out and one back) at the bell to take the lead at home and win by a length from Quiggley ($2.90).
“She has a very good gait, which is something the trotters here generally don’t have,” Hall said. “When you have a trotter that has such good point-to-point speed, they generally stand out.”
For full race results, click here.
Through Ken Casellas, for Gloucester Park
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