Racing: Victory puts youngster on classic path

Co-owner Ben Foote with Sumstreetsumwhere and strapper Casey Lock after yesterday's win. Photo / Trish Dunell

Dismay at an outside draw turned to delight at Te Rapa where Sumstreetsumwhere yesterday emerged as a genuine chance to defend his stable's classic crown.

The son of Highly Recommended downed a competitive field of 3-year-olds in yesterday's Group 2 Sarten Memorial (1400m) to send him on his way to Christchurch for the Group 1 Al Basti Equiworld New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).

Stephen Marsh won both races last year with Ugo Foscolo and Sumstreetsumwhere has now claimed the opening leg of the double and his trainer is confident the best is still to come.

"When we drew 15 of 15 I couldn't believe it, but when the rain came it negated it," Marsh said.

"He's a horse on the way up and he's still got a lot to learn. As long as he comes through the race well, we'll head to Riccarton."

A debut third behind the 2000 Guineas favourite Te Akau Shark, Sumstreetsumwhere then won at Te Rapa where he was a pick-up ride for Jason Waddell after Troy Harris was unable to make the weight.

Waddell, who dedicated the win to his mother who is battling illness, retained the mount in the Sarten and drew praise from Marsh for his performance.

"It was a 10 out of 10 ride, midfield and one off the fence," Marsh said. "He's ridden him perfectly both times."

Sumstreetsumwhere finished resolutely to win by a neck from maiden As You Will, who closed well from the tail of the field, with last-start Group 2 Hawke's Bay Guineas winner Hard Merchandize a sound third.

"He loves getting his toe in the ground," Waddell said. "We didn't really have a game plan and he jumped beautifully to get a spot and full credit to the horse, he knuckled down right to the line."

Meanwhile, Ben Foote isn't complaining about his co-owner Sam Beatson's memory lapse that resulted in them retaining the promising youngster.

The Cambridge horseman bred the son of Highly Recommended with his good mate, South Island harness identity Andrew Stuart and they race the gelding in partnership with Beatson.

"I do a heap of Ready to Run horses every year with Sam and he rang me up one day and said he'd forgotten to enter him in the sale," Foote said. "I guess it doesn't matter now though."

That was the second time Sumstreetsumwhere was to have been sold, the first after the horse had won a trial when in Foote's care.

"He got vetted and he had a little spur on his knee and Hong Kong are quite strict about those things, but it doesn't worry him," Foote said.

Sumstreetsumwhere was subsequently transferred to Marsh's Cambridge stable to begin his racing career.

"Stephen is a very good friend of all of us and I do quite a bit of pre-training for him," Foote said.

"I buy and sell a lot and if I can't sell them I like to race a few with mates and enjoy a day out without anything to worry about so Stephen can do all the worrying with this one."

- NZ Racing Desk