Stakes Goal for Stryker 2YO

Precocious youngster Not Usual Trip booked himself another outing in black type company with a commanding performance at Ruakaka off the back of a break.

 

Trained on the course by Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs, the heavily-backed colt thumped his rivals in Saturday’s Tavistock Owners’ Syndicate 2Y0.

“We’ve obviously got a lot of time for the horse and the 1000 metres was the only question mark, it was a little bit short for him but, gee, he won well,” Logan said.

Not Usual Trip was a debut winner at Ellerslie in April and he was then put aside after finishing fourth at Te Rapa behind the now Melbourne-based Ardrossan in the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes.

“The Northland Breeders’ Stakes here looks a nice stepping stone so we’ll probably look at that for him,” Logan said.

The son of Three Bridges sire Stryker is raced by Hongwei Chen and Alex Teng’s Horse Feng Bloodstock, who have recently acquired an interest in his former stablemate Qiji Phoenix. He won three of his four starts for Logan and Gibbs before joining Chris Waller’s Sydney stable.

Not Usual Trip’s victory also announced rider Matt Cameron’s return to the northern jockeys’ ranks following a European holiday.

He was able to enjoy a smooth introduction aboard the colt, who answered positively when asked to sprint off a handy sit and careered away to win by five and a half lengths.

“He’s a top horse. He’s pretty cruisy and also won his first race nicely,” Cameron said. “I knew I had the horse underneath me on the turn and he kicked well. He’s coming up nicely.”

A $130,000 Magic Millions 2YO in Training purchase, Not Usual Trip is one of three winners from Fandanita (IRE).