The Anthony Cummings-trained Tristate was the most experienced of the seven runners in Wednesday’s Arrowfield Virtual Parade Maiden (1100m) at Randwick-Kensington, and it showed.
Revelling on the heavy track, the 3yo son of Headwater ponced on the leader Omniman at the top of the straight.. Keeping up a strong gallop under Jason Collett, Tristate defeated the Snitzel colt Devil’s Throat by one and a quarter lengths with the I Am Invincible colt All England the same distance back in third.
Off the scene for twenty weeks, Tristate had been unplaced in his previous four starts, although he was far from disgraced in the Group II Skyline Stakes and Group III Pago Pago Stakes.
“He is a nice horse with a good nature. Last time we had high hopes for him and thought he might be a stakes horse,” Cummings said.
“He will get his chance this time because he has come back a more complete article.
“His trials have been good, and he came here fit and ready to go and did the job.
“He has been sure-footed in all his work regardless of what tracks we put him on. While you’re never sure until they have done it on heavy tracks, he was most likely going to handle it.
“It is a very fast family, and most of them have struggled much past 1200m, but I am hopeful he gets 1400m.”
Purchased by his trainer for $150,000 out of the Glastonbury Stud draft at 2020 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Tristate is a half-brother to the stakes-placed Blazing Miss (Sizzling).
He is the sixth foal and sixth winner out of the Encosta de Lago mare Jahre, whose dam Whatever (Danzero) is a daughter of the outstanding broodmare Procrastinate.
Jahre has a 2yo filly by Sizzling and a yearling colt by Dundeel. She was covered by Dundeel’s son Castelvecchio last spring.
Last season’s Champion Second Season Sire, Headwater stands at Vinery Stud in 2021 at a fee of $16,500.