A rail-hugging ride by Robbie Dolan resulted in the well-travelled gelding Oughton opening his stakes account in Wednesday’s Listed Tattersall's Recognition Stakes (1350m) at Doomben.
The Melissa Kelly-trained 6-year-old son of More Than Ready (USA) was baulked for a run when attempting to get to the outside. When the rails opened up, Oughton accelerated through to defeat the Trapeze Artist 4-year-old Flying Trapeze by one and a half lengths, with the Kobayashi 5-year-old Midnight In Tokyo back in third.
Oughton advances his record to six wins, four seconds, and two thirds from 29 starts with earnings of $748,324.
Bred by Tony Santic, Oughton was a $900,000 purchase for Spendthrift Australia from the Lime Country Thoroughbreds draft at the 2020 Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
He was a Sandown winner for Team Hawkes before being sold to Hong Kong, where he won twice at Sha Tin for Frankie Lor.
He returned to Australia following a tendon injury and was purchased by Les and Melissa Kelly.
Oughton comes from the family of the 2-year-old winner earlier in the day, La Bella Boom, whose dam La Girl is a half-sister to Oughton. Read about her here.
Oughton’s dam La Fluorescent (General Nediym) is a half-sister to Group II MVRC Mitchelton Wines Vase winner and Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes third Savvy Nature and Group III ATC Ming Dynasty Hcp winner Addictive Nature.
The granddam of Group I NZ 1000 guineas winner winner Captured By Love (Written Tycoon), La Fluorescent, has a Spirit Of Boom colt in the Eureka Stud draft heading to the Magic Millions in January as Lot 1248.
Oughton is the 231st black-type winner for the former Vinery shuttler More Than Ready (USA).