Cranbourne trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr were supremely confident that talented stayer Deepstrike would be the horse to beat in the Dexion Victoria Handicap (2000m) at Caulfield on Saturday, and their judgment proved accurate as the son of Tavistock ran out a comfortable winner.
The four-year-old gelding was sent out a $2.40 favourite and winning rider Daniel Moor was awake to the tactical nature of the race, making an early move from last in the small field to ensure he was not brought undone by the sit and sprint, with the 2000m covered in 2:04.51.
Bred on the Tavistock-Zabeel cross, Deepstrike had always shown good ability for Price and Kent and Saturday’s back-to-back victory was his fourth from 12 starts, with a further two placings.
“I think it was a big win. He’s jumped three grades, sat last in a slowly run race and has gone around them on a track that probably doesn't suit him,” Kent Jnr said.
“Dan rode him really well. We spoke pre-race and they were going to dawdle, get going early and nothing carted him into the race.”
“We’ll make hay while the sun shines, try and get some prize money for his owners, this time last year he was a leading South Australian Derby contender and hopefully he can go through the grades. I’m sure that on a big track he’ll be much better.”
Moor, who has recently returned from Hong Kong, was pleased with the win of the gelding who closed over the top of pacemaker Five Kingdom.
“He’s quite progressive,” Moor said.
“That’s probably not the way to ride him because he had a bit of a stargaze. He rested off what felt an easy speed so a step up in trip isn’t beyond the realms of possibility but he’s still quite immature as a type and in his brain a touch at the moment, so what he’s doing now is on raw ability. Hopefully he’s on an upward trajectory.”
Deepstrike was purchased by Price out of Cambridge Stud’s 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $280,000 and is out of the placed Zabeel mare Obey, dam of Group Three performer Zabay.
He hails from the famed Eight Carat family, with the blue-hen his fourth dam and Cotehele House his third dam.