The 7-year-old gelding First Light (GB) scaled new heights in Saturday's Group III Toyota Forklifts Colin Stephen Quality (2400m) at Rosehill, earning a golden ticket to next week's Group 1 Metropolitan Hcp.
Ridden by Tommy Berry for Chris Waller, the son of Dubawi came from last of the seven starters to overpower the leader Changingoftheguard (IRL) (Galileo) by three lengths with the winner's stablemate Strathtay (Preferment) a short-head back in third.
First Light had only one previous start in stakes company, which came when finishing fifth of six in the Listed Noel Murless Stakes at Ascot three years ago.
A homebred for Gaynor Rupert's Drakenstein Stud, First Light (GB) advances his record to five wins, two seconds, and five thirds from 29 starts with earnings of $410,346.
"It was an exciting win. Tommy just let him do his own thing, flopped out of the barriers, minded his business, and joined in at the top of the straight. And he came away for a really good win," Waller said.
&
t;We are (well represented in the Metrop), but it's a Group One race, so I'll talk to Mrs Rupert and her team and see what they've got to say.
"They bred this horse in England and sent him out, and I'm sure it would mean a lot to them; a Group win and a Group One placing or a win (in The Metrop) wouldn't be the worst thing.
"As we've found in the past, backing horses up is not always the worst thing in a staying race; they need to be fit. He can go home and won't have to do any more galloping; he's had his gallop today."
First Light (GB) is the best of three winners from four to race for the Galileo mare Anzhelika (IRE), a half-sister to Gr1 Beverly D. Stakes and Gr1 Diana Handicap winner Angara (Alzao) GrII winner Actrice (Danehill), and Listed winner and exceptional broodmare Arleseanne (Alzao), from the family of Gr 1 Breeders' Cup Classic and Gr1 Prix d'Ispahan winner Arcangues (Sagace).
First Light (GB) is the 286th black-type winner for Darley Stud's champion stallion Dubawi.
