Trainer Gai Waterhouse is confident that three-year-old Thronum will prove extremely tough to beat when he lines up for the Group 3 Up And Coming Stakes (1300m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Gai Waterhouse is thrilled with Thronum ahead of Saturday’s Group 3 Up And Coming Stakes at Randwick. Photo: Steve Hart
Thronum has more than stamped himself as a colt to follow through his short but impressive four start racing career so far; posting three wins and a second, highlighted by a strong performance for success in the Listed The Rosebud (1200m) a fortnight ago.
Waterhouse told Racing Ahead that the Snitzel colt has only improved from his most recent run and has rated the horse her best chance of success at Randwick on Saturday.
“I think he can win again, I could not be more happy with the way the colt has done,” Waterhouse said.
“He’s big, he’s strong and he’s going into tomorrow’s race with exactly the same mind frame as he had going into the race he won.
“He’s trained on super. It’s very hard for a horse to win one race let alone three from four. He’s the most unassuming type of horse, totally gets on with the job and he’ll take a stack of beating in tomorrow’s race.”
Waterhouse believes the horse is more than up to standard of top line racing and confirmed that the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 10th is his major target.
“We’re dealing with a November colt so he’s only a baby, but I do think he’s a horse who will be standing up when it comes to the Golden Rose,” Waterhouse said.
Trialling well in the lead-up to his competitive debut, Thronum immediately stamped himself as a colt to follow when delivering a smart field a comfortable defeat in the Riley O’Shea Go Go’s Maiden (1000m) at Kembla Grange on June 25th.
Jumping from the gates well in the Tab Rewards Handicap (1200m) a fortnight later, Thronum took an ideal position in transit before producing what was become a typically-smart turn of foot to find the line more than three lengths ahead of closest rival Morton’s Fork.
Completely missing the start in the 70th Birthday Martin King Handicap (1200m) on July 23rd, Thronum was unable to completely recover but still managed a smart second behind notable galloper Tango Rain, in what was his only other start prior to The Rosebud.
Thronum is currently available at 2016 Up And Coming Stakes odds of $3.80 with Ladbrokes Australia.
