Embattled was the most experienced runner in Sunday's QTIS 2-Y-O Maiden Plate (1000m) at the Sunshine Coast and it showed – given a positive ride by Luke Tarrant he won by a widening five and a quarter lengths to credit his sire Time For War with his third first-crop winner.
Following a trio of good performances at Doomben, Embattled disappointed when favourite at his most recent start at Ipswich when he clipped heels and almost fell.
Tarrant took bad luck out of the equation when taking the Stuart Kendrick-trained gelding to the front from a wide barrier and it was just a matter of how far from there.
Another experienced performer Cuban Mist (Mossman) claimed second with the favourite Perfect Quality (Written Tycoon) doing the best of the debutants in third.
A $35,000 purchase by his trainer from the Fairview Park Stud draft at the 2018 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Embattled is the ninth and final foal and the sixth winner out of the pensioned Jan Murray mare Kianben who is a 5-time winning sister to the blazingly fast Nan Tien a dual Listed stakes-winner.
The Group II ATC Pago Pago Stakes and Group II BRC Sires' Produce Stakes winner Time For War (Snitzel) was close to finishing his second season at Kitchwin Hill when he died suddenly.
The star of his first crop is the Group II Silver Slipper Stakes winner Time To Reign.