Catapulted Finally Hits His Target

The general consensus was that all Catapulted needed to do to win the Group 3 Standish Handicap at Flemington yesterday was to run to his ability.

It sounds simple but it’s been a similar scenario at his past two outings and on both occasions he’s come up short.

That wasn’t the case yesterday though as he cruised to an easy win only half a second off track record pace and with a three length break on second place.

It was his 11th career victory, six of which have been at stakes level.

He’s the type of horse that could turn into anything during 2012, something that jockey Michael Rodd is well aware of.

He underwent a hellish morning of exercise yesterday to ensure he was light enough to take the ride.

“I always get heavy when I take a long break, so I’ve got to work hard now for about a month so I can ride 54kg comfortably and stop my weight fluctuating,” Rodd said.

It was all worth it though, Rodd able to enjoy himself a long way out from home.

“He was unlucky not to have won two starts ago at Caulfield and then he went to Sydney and we all saw what happened,” he said.

“Just up the straight I was so confident with him. He ran well in the Salinger and he’s got great form behind Hay List. Once I got the 600m, I was giggling to myself as, really, he’s just below spring carnival form.”

The win is likely to convince trainer Mark Kavanagh to press north to the Magic Millions carnival on the Gold Coast.

While he’ll almost certainly get the 61kg maximum weight, Kavanagh thinks that’s not too bad given his quality and his likely opposition.

“He’s a good horse, his record tells you that,” Kavanagh said.

Catapulted would run in the Magic Millions Sprint due to be held on January 14.

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