Four-year-old Lather Up gelding Imperial Sanz recorded his second win at his sixth race start when claiming the $14,000 Max McCormack (2200m) in Launceston on Sunday night.
The Kent Rattray-trained pacer had recorded his maiden win at the start prior.
From his outside of the second row on Sunday, reinsman John Walters positioned the pacer one-out and three-back before racing three and four wide from the 600m.
Imperial Sanz ($2.10 fav) swept to the lead turning for home, and dashed right away late for an 11.8m win over Wheres The Savs ($26) and Iylac Chamber ($15) in a mile rate of 1:59.8s.
The pacer had three starts as a two-year-old, with Sunday’s win his third start back from having a year and a half away from the track.
“He was going to win his first two-year-old trial, with a leg in the air. But he shied at something and ran inside the pylons, and from that day, everything he did as a two-year-old, he just panicked and got upset,” explained Rattray.
“Snowy (Nathan Bennett, owner) took him home and just threw him in the paddock with other horses and we just forgot about him.”
Imperial Sanz is out of Soho Summer, whose five live foals of racing age have all won, headlined by Easter Cup winner Sunny Sanz.
The Raider Stakes could now come into consideration for Imperial Sanz.
“We are getting down the track, and we are now starting to think, well, there might be better races in store for us. But I think he has got to stay ODM for a while, because he is still learning.
Ulverstone Cup
Bettablack Tiger ($1.55 fav) led home a Charlie Castles training quinella when defeating Sabine ($2.50) in the Ulverstone Cup (2698m).
Positioned one-out and two-back, Bettablack Tiger, who was driven by Castles, proved too strong for his rivals after racing four-wide from the 600m.
“He was able to get a nice trail, and it helped him late. I think not having to be too up in the firing line this week helped.
“We are going to target whatever comes up in those better money and better class races, so we will take it as it comes with him,” Castles said.
Leis Fillies and Mares
Quetzalli ($5.00) led all the way to claim her third career win in the Leis Fillies & Mares (2200m) feature for trainer-driver Todd Rattray.
“The race sort of got run her way, which she needed a bit, but she felt good over the line.
“I didn’t pull the plugs or anything, and it felt like she could have kept going,” said Rattray.
The win completed a training double for Rattray, who prepared Unmatched ($7) to victory earlier in the night, with that win completing a driving double for Ethan Arnott, who also partnered first race winner Everything But The ($3.10).
