Fourth in the Group I VRC Victoria Derby and sixth in the Group I BRC Queensland Derby, four year-old High Chaparral (IRE) gelding Red Alto shook off maiden status at Kyneton on Thursday when bolting away to win by nearly five lengths.
Fresh from a 26 week spell having not raced since the Queensland Derby, the
Paul Banks trained Red Alto was in a different class in this 1100 metre maiden,
powering clear as favourite to win as he pleased.Bred by Fairway Thoroughbreds, Red Alto was sold as a weanling for $28,000 from the Coolmore draft at the Inglis Select Weanling Sale and is the first winner for La Sangre, a Fastnet Rock sibling to Group III winning mile and a half stayers Tiger's Rye and Vetriano.
Now that he's broken the ice, Red Alto might be well worth following over the summer when he steps up in distance and returns to better class races.
The last crop of yearlings by High Chaparral will be offered at sales in 2017 starting at Magic Millions where he has 13 youngsters on offer.
