Linton looks an efficient prospect

Lloyd and Nick Williams look to have found themselves another promising stayer, the Galileo (pictured) gelding Linton, who was most impressive making his debut at Flemington on Saturday.

Linton (gr g 2006, ex-Our Heather, by Centaine) was fourth, beaten 1.8 lengths, behind Encosta Belief in the Elms Handicap (1410m) and there is little doubt that with a clear run he would have finished second. Jockey Glen Boss protested unsuccessfully against the runner-up Take The Rap (Brent Evans), who was relegated to third when a separate protest by Craig Newitt on Exclusive Choice was upheld.

Linton has similarities to the Williams’ other grey star Efficient – apart from the obvious colour – as they both are big striders with a slightly high head-carriage. Efficient (gr g 2003, Zabeel (NZ)-Refused The Dance, by Defensive Play (USA)), the 2006 Group 1 Victoria Derby winner, who trained on to win the 2007 Group 1 Melbourne Cup, likes to get wide and wind up with plenty of galloping room. Linton looks like a horse with a similar need.

There is nothing similar about their pedigrees.

Linton was bought in 2008 as a 2YO at the Karaka Ready To Run Sale for $275,000 (from the Lyndhurst Farm draft) on the bid of Williams’ former trainer Graeme Rogerson, who was acting as agent.

A few months earlier, Linton’s dam Our Heather (gr m 1998, ex-Melrose (NZ), by Sun And Shine (GB)) was sold by Hong Kong-based owner Dr. Gene Tsoi at the Magic Millions National Broodmare sale to Queensland breeders Kiernan Pastoral for only $42,000, in foal to Reset (Zabeel). Our Heather produced a grey filly by Reset in November 2008, and then missed to Jet Spur (by Flying Spur) that season. She is now in foal to Jet Spur, who has started his stallion career nicely with five first-crop winners this season.

Our Heather, a winner of three races to 1300m, has not produced a winner from three named foals, but that should be rectified when Linton gets into his stride. Her dam Melrose was unraced and has left only four moderate winners, but Our Heather’s third dam is the outstanding producer, the imported Vedo Bay (GB) (by Orange Bay (GB)).

Vedo Bay is the dam of the high-class racemares Balmacara (by Bassenswaithe (GB)) and Vedodara (by Kreisler (GB)). Both mares were black type winners and Group 1 placed. Vedodara is the dam of three outstanding gallopers – the Group 1 winning mare Shavasti (Montjeu), multiple Group 3 winner Bandhara (Zabeel) and the Group 3 Hawke’s Bay Guineas winner Shastri (Stravinsky). Balmacara’s best offspring is the brilliant, but injury-prone Jamieson Valley (Desert Prince), a Listed winner of the Magic Millions 3YO Trophy.

It was earlier on Saturday that I watched a replay of Friday’s barrier trials at Randwick and took notice off an impressive performance by a Savabeel filly in one of the heats. Savodara is an unraced filly from Vedodara, and she looks to have a very bright future for trainer Graeme Rogerson. Savodara cost Rogerson $270,000 from the Little Avondale draft, as agent for Barlow Thoroughbreds, at the 2009 Karaka Premier Yearling Sale. The filly was significantly the dearest yearling by Savabeel at Karaka last year.