Blitzem to Keep Powder Dry for Rocky

The promise of a big pay day won’t be enough to lure boom two-year-old Better Blitzem to the Gold Coast despite a powerhouse win in the QTIS Jewel Qualifier at Cluden Park on Friday.

Connections of the unbeaten Better Than Ready colt are steadfast in their plans to tackle the rich Capricornia Sale 2YO Classic in April instead.

Better Blitzem’s senior breeder and senior part-owner Shaun Flanagan said the young galloper wouldn’t be joining his smart stablemate Satisfied Mugs who will be tackling the QTIS Jewel for 3yos at the Gold Coast on March 14.

“There just isn’t enough time for Better Blitzem. He went through the Rocky sale and the classic was always his main target,” Flanagan said.

“It would be asking too much of him to travel down to go the Gold Coast and then a few weeks later go on to Rocky.

“Rocky was the plan and we’re sticking to it. That was very impressive today and we’re very happy with how he’s coming along.”

Flanagan bred Better Blitzem from Belitsa, a Rubick mare he bought out of Sydney.

Belitsa’s first foal was an unraced filly by Casino Prince, but he backed up and sent the mare to Better Than Ready, a renowned sire of young sprinters.

The result, Better Blitzem has won all three of his starts – the Pallarenda Stakes and Jewel Qualifier at Cluden, and a 2yo open at Mackay.

But Better Blitzem’s career may well have amounted to nothing but for a successful throat operation.

“He was lined up to be sold in the Rocky sale. No matter who bought him I would have taken a share in him. When you breed the horse you want to keep an interest,” Flanagan said.

“Two weeks before hand we did a pre-scope on him and it picked up a lump on his throat. No one wanted him.

‘We bought him back for $5000, had the lump lasered off and the rest is history. We syndicated him with friends who we’ve all raced horses with in the past - many of whom are in Satisfied Mugs.

“The mother was a big, strong mare and very well bred but we unfortunately lost her. Her last foal will go through Rocky this year, a Dubious filly.

“Sure enough when you get a good one something crook happens like losing the mare.

“We still don’t know what we’ll meet in Rocky. I think there’s nine winners out of last year’s Capricorn sale so it’s a pretty good group of two-year-olds.”

Better Blitzem provided the middle leg of a winning treble for trainer Georgie Holt and the second of a career best four winners in the saddle for her husband Aidan.

Georgie Holt also won with bold front runner Mooloolaba in the Ladbrokes BM60 Hcp (1609m) and Storm Capital in the Happy Birthday Scobie Ryan Mdn Plate (1000m).

But the young trainer, who leads the Cluden premiership with 16 wins, was deprived of a quartet of winners by her husband Aidan.

He brought the Rhein Sewell-trained Coles Best with a perfectly timed run to nail stable runner Time To Prophet on the line and claim his own four win haul.

“Yes, that's my first four timer. I’ve had quite a few trebles. I normally don’t get four rides in a day to be fair so it was great to get the four up,” Holt said.

“Georgie hadn’t trained four either, plenty of trebles but not four in a day - and I ruined it for her. Someone had to get the four and it was me,” he said with a grin.

Holt’s other winners were the Matt McGuire-trained Airwaves in the Belle Property Mdn (1300m), Better Blitzem, and Storm Capital (gate 12) who strolled away for an effortless win thanks to arguably the ride of the season.

Now three clear on the jockeys’ premiership on 16 wins, Holt predicted significant improvement in Better Blitzem who coasted over the last 100m to his dominant win.

“Better Blitzem was really good and there’s a lot of improvement especially fitness wise,” Holt said. 

“I didn’t knock him around. That was probably the most exciting part about him.

“It was also nice to win one for Rhein on Coles Best. I tell you if there’s any one up there to ride winners for other than Georgie it’s Rhein.

“He’s a young trainer. He and the family put in the effort too and it’s good to see them get results.

“Overall nine rides today is huge for me. ‘

“I had good draws with most of them today except for Storm Capital and I just couldn’t believe I rode it that good.

“Things just happen sometimes.

“That win was good because Georgie bought the horse for $1000 and he’s had three starts for a win and two thirds. 

“Mum and dad, my sister and brother in-law have been in a few horses including Bones and we gave them all a share in him for Christmas.”

Trainer Graham Hughes already has one eye on the winter carnival with improved sprinter Burraneer Boy who claimed the Great Northern Co. Open Hcp (1300m).

Hughes and jockey Ivo Fry have now won five races from eight Cluden starts with Burraneer Boy.

“We’ve got a couple of options with him now. He could get into one of those good sprints around 1300m with a light weight and who knows,” Hughes said.

“He’s been very good to us and he goes well for Ivo.

“You can’t get him off him.

“He doesn’t let anyone else work him, and you can’t blame him.”

Progressive gallopers Rhegion, Mind Over Matter and Burlington Arcade all claimed smart wins on Friday.

And 30-start maidener March Madness must have known what time of year it was to finally break his duck for trainer Michael Geaney and jockey Wanderson D’Avila.

“I was determined to win a race with him. He was always going to get one, it was just a matter of when,” Geaney said.

“He’s got enough ability to win a couple more but it’s up to him. We’ll give him a few more shots and see if he can measure up.

“Today it was a really good ride by Wanderson. He had him mid-field and when he produced him he got to them very quickly.

“When he kicked clear I half expected him to put the brakes on and I waited until he crossed the line before I cheered. But my two-year-old was cheering him on.”