The pacy son of Snitzel made full use of an inside gate to pave the way for a
front-running victory in the Listed Reid & Harrison Ltd Slipper at Matamata
on Saturday.Trained by Lance O'Sullivan and Andrew Scott for Hermitage Thoroughbreds, the youngster's immediate future will be up for discussion next week.
Options include the $A3.5 million Group I Golden Slipper and the $A1 million ATC Sires' Produce Stakes should connections be keen on Sydney.
"There will be a board room meeting, but he's still got to improve to get to those heights," Scott said.
An $800,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Wexford Stables from the Highgrove Stud draft, Summer Passage finished runner-up on debut at Pukekohe last month from an outside alley, but on Saturday he was able to hold the front from an inside barrier.
"There was a lot of pressure early in the race when they went hell for leather and then he kicked off the corner," Scott said. "That was really encouraging for the future."
Summer Passage was clear 200 metres from home and under the urgings of Craig Grylls he held a strong gallop to win by half a length.
"We had to take bad luck out of it and put him in the race," Grylls said. "He came back to me nicely and he had a good kick.
"He put it all together today and he's a very strong colt with a brilliant action."
The favourite Aim Smart, who had Summer Passage's measure at their previous
meeting, was given a cosy run near the pace but he had nothing to offer rider
Vinnie Colgan in the straight and they beat only one runner home.Bred by Highgrove Stud, Summer Passage is the first winner for Encosta de Lago mare Subsequent, a sibling to stakes-winners Order of the sund and Get to Work from the family of former star Group II mare Shania Dane.
This family has hit a real purple patch with recent Group II winner Man From Uncle and dual stakes-winner Northwest Passage also now appearing on the pedigree page.
Highgrove Stud sold the current yearling from Subsequent, a colt by Sebring at the2017 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $55,000 to Kendrick Racing.
Subsequent produced a filly by Snitzel last year and is back in foal to him again.
