After closing out his juvenile year with a win and two seconds from three starts, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Master Ash made a winning stakes debut in Saturday's Group III Up And Coming Stakes (1300m) at Randwick.
Given the run of the race by Tim Clark, the son of Sebring ran down the speedy Danawi (Exceed And Excel) by a length with the heavily backed Victorian visitor, Smart Elissim (Smart Missile), making it a clean sweep for the lightweights, a half-length back in third. (photo Steve Hart )
"I rode him one morning two or three months ago and he gave me a great feel and from that day I pestered Gai and Adrian to ride him," Clark said.
"He has improved so much in the last five weeks."
"He worked really well on Saturday morning apparently and I rode him on Tuesday morning, he felt unbelievable. I was very confident he would run a bold race."
Co-trainer Adrian Bott said the Group 1 Golden Rose start is the immediate goal.
"We'd love to get him to a top-class race," Bott said.
Racing in the Teeley Assets colours made famous by the likes of Redoute's Choice, Lankan Rupee and Miracles Of Life, Master Ash (pictured as a yearling) was a $170,000 purchase by her trainers out of the Element Hill draft at the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
The son of Sebring has come full circle as his dam Hanky Panky was sold by Teeley Assets to Josh Hutchins for $400,000 at the 2014 Teeley Asset Dispersal. She was carrying a Redoute's Choice filly at the time of the sale, which made $500,000 to the bid of Gai Waterhouse Racing/Julian Blaxland at the 2016 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
A stakes-placed daughter of Anabaa, Hanky Panky is a half-sister to successful stallion Not A Single Doubt.
She made her mark at stud early by producing the Listed winner Fun In Flight (Fusaichi Pegasus) and the dual Listed winner Come Hither who was a $1.1 million Easter Yearling purchase by Darley.
Come Hither is the dam of Godolphin's Listed Blue Diamond Preview winner Cohesion (Lonhro).
Not served in 2015, Hanky Panky slipped in 2016 before being covered by Sebring again last spring.
Master Ash becomes the 46th stakes-winner for Sebring who will stand at Widden Stud this spring for a fee of $66,000.
