A wide barrier draw and top weight of 59kgs were not enough to stymie the meteoric rise of Target In Sight (Nadeem – Xaaranthe by Xaar by Zafonic) when he resumed at Randwick on Saturday. The 5YO Nadeem gelding was recording the sixth win in 15 career starts when he took the 1000m contest in a slick 56.66.
Trained by John O’Shea before John moved to the Darley operation, Target In Sight went from provincial grade to high grade Saturday racing in four months during his last preparation which culminated in a second placing in the rich Bert Lillye Open Handicap at Kembla Grange in late March.
Saturday’s event had a distinctive LA flavour with the runner-up to Target In Sight, Rifleman (Hussonet- Opportunity by Redoute’s Choice), a graduate of our 2010 Karaka Premier draft.
Local racing last week may have unearthed another future stakeswinner descending from the Champion Te Parae matron Sanderae (Oncidium – Nell). The John Bary trained colt Taken The Liberty (O’Reilly – Starbelly by Stravinsky), who scored impressively at Hastings on Thursday features Sanderae as his fourth dam through her daughters Sellou and Sneetch.
