Tulloch Lodge has won the Listed VRC St Leger (2800m) with Hippopus (2013), Order Of The Sun (2014) and Runaway last year and I dare say that trio took a 'catch me if you can' attitude that gave the stable it's fourth winner in the last seven years, Transact.
With Luke Curry in the saddle, the son of Dundeel led every step of the way in this energy sapping contest to defeat Godolphin's Epaulette filly Rock Dove by a neck with a further three-quarter of a length back to the Americain gelding American In Paris in third ahead of the favourite Star Of Carrum (Fiorente) in fourth.
Co-trainer Gai Waterhouse said the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville on May 11 is now on the cards.
"All he can do is stay. He could not win, he was running last, last, last, and I could see all the owners getting a bit wibbly wobbly but the more distance we gave him the further he improved and then everyone believed in him," Waterhouse said.
"He was bred by Cathy Hains of Burnewang North, she is here today so it's so exciting.
"We are going to South Australia and win the Derby."
Purchased for $220,000 by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing at the 2017 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Transact (pictured above as a yearling ) is the second winner from three to race out of the stakes-winning imported Tale Of The Cat (USA) mare Rap The Tale (USA) whose stakes-placed dam Rap and Dance (Pleasant Tap) is a half-sister to Grade 1 winners Another Review and No Review who is the granndam of Listed winner and Group II Autumn Stakes runner-up Zebulon (All American).
Rap Tale has a 2yo filly by Kuroshio, which made $26,000 at the 2018 Inglis VOBIS Gold Yearling Sale and a yearling filly by Dissident, which was purchased by Wayne Roser for $30,000 at this year's Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale.
Burnewang North sold Rap Tale (USA) for just $3,000 to Murray Cod Thoroughbred at last year's Inglis Great Southern Sale.
She was not in foal at the time of her sale but was covered by Cluster last spring.
Transact becomes the eighth stakes-winner for Arrowfield Stud's Dundeel who just missed out earlier in the day when he had the second and third-placed finishers in the Listed Anzac Day Stakes.
