A solid pace by the favourite Little Pumper set it up nicely for the fast-finishing Dundeel debutant Militarize in the Drinkwise Maiden Plate (1200m) for two-year-olds at Canterbury on Wednesday.
Ridden by James McDonald for Chris Waller, Militarize gunned down the solidly backed Pierro filly Queen Of Dragons by one and a quarter lengths, with the Savabeel colt Wymark a half-length back in third.
Sporting the colours carried by smart two-year-olds Empire Of Japan, Royal Entrance, Don Corleone, and Sovereign Fund, Militarize has a good race in him this season, according to assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth.
"He took fantastic improvement from his first trial to his second trial and from his second trial to the races in a very quick turnaround in time, Duckworth said.
"He is a fantastic colt. We were lucky to be sent him from Newgate and their partners.
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"He is a Dundeel, so we expected him to be a little later than he has been. He is a horse that has impressed us all the way through."
James McDonald agreed that the best is ahead for Militarize.
"He's a lovely professional horse that has been given a bit of time and is well educated," McDonald said.
"Gee, that was a smart debut. I can remember Castelvecchio doing a similar thing over this course and distance. He is the spitting image of his old man."
A $550,000 purchase for China Horse Club/Newgate Bloodstock/Trilogy Racing from the Bhima Stud draft at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Militarize is the second foal and first runner from the Dubawi mare Amerindia (GB).
Placed at Saint-Cloud and Chantilly, Amerindia (GB) has had several noticeable upgrades to her pedigree since Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock purchased her for 150,000gns on behalf of Jonathon Munz at the 2017 Tattersalls November Mares Sale.
A daughter of the Group 1 Prix de l'Opera and dual Group II Prix Jean Romanet winner Satwa Queen (Muhtathir), Amerindia (GB) is a half-sister to the stakes-winner Important Time (Oasis Dream).
That part was known at the time of the sale, but Important Time would produce the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby winner Nations Pride (Teofilo). And it did not end there.
Amerindia (GB) is also a half-sister to the unraced Queen Of Carthage (Cape Cross), the dam of Yulong's Group 1 Phoenix Park Stakes winner Lucky Vega. The son of Lope de Vega also placed a further three times at the elite level, St James's Palace Stakes, Two Thousand Guineas, and Middle Park Stakes, before embarking on a dual hemisphere stud career.
Lindsay Park Racing/Lizzie Jelfs shelled out $160,000 for Amerindia's Super Seth colt consigned by Bhima Thoroughbreds to the Magic Millions in January.
After foaling a Snitzel colt in October, Amerindia (GB) headed to Arrowfield for another visit to Dundeel.
