Group Three Gold for Classy Colt

Talented local two-year-old Alabama Gold (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) put his first win on the board in style at Matamata on Saturday, scoring a runaway victory in the $80,000 Group Three Fairview Matamata Slipper (1200m).

By multiple Group One-winning Windsor Park Stud stallion Turn Me Loose (NZ) out of the stakes-placed Attalla (NZ) (Volksraad), the colt was bought for $85,000 by co-trainer Stephen Autridge at Karaka 2021. Alabama Gold has now had five starts for a win, two placings and $68,635 in stakes.

An unlucky last-start eighth in the $1m Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie, Alabama Gold took bad luck out of the equation on Saturday with a dominant front-running performance.

Settling into a smooth rhythm in the lead under jockey Sam Weatherley, Alabama Gold upped the ante coming down the side of the track and opened up a big lead.

He never surrendered that advantage, keeping up a strong gallop all the way down the straight and winning by three and three-quarter lengths.

“It was a very good effort,” Autridge told NZ Racing Desk. “We had tried those tactics at his second start and they didn’t quite work – he was beaten into second.

“I thought he ran an excellent race in the Karaka Million, he didn’t jump well and then got wiped out on the home corner. His sectionals were outstanding.

“Sam said that once he got the lead to himself today, he relaxed nicely and did it easily in the end.

“That was outstanding for Stan (Painton, owner) and I hope it is a good tonic for him. He hasn’t been doing that well of late and he is someone who just lives for his racing.

“We’re not too sure what to do next with him. In the back of our minds he was going out for a spell, but we may just leave that for a week and see how he comes through this race.

“The winners of this race have a very good record in the Group One at Ellerslie (Sistema Stakes, 1200m) in a fortnight, so we might just have a change of plans if he thrives from this run.

“No matter what happens, I think he is going to make a cracking three-year-old, so we are looking forward to that.”

The Slipper produced a Karaka quinella, with runner-up Andalus (NZ) (Almanzor) a $420,000 purchase from Book 1 of Karaka 2021. He has now had two starts for two black-type placings, having previously run third on debut in the Group Two Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1200m) in December.

Vendor	Highline Thoroughbreds
Purchaser	Mr SR Autridge
Breeding	Turn Me Loose – Attalla
Sale	Lot 726, Karaka 2021 Book 2, $85,000
Bred by	W E Jeffries