3 minute read

The Premier Racing Stable continued on their good vein of form this weekend as they led in a second winner in Fast Edition on Sunday.

Headed by Wade Burridge, son of winning trainer Steven, the emerging outfit had to wait until the last race to experience the sweet taste of success with Lika Tiger last Friday night. They could, however, go pose for the photo souvenir a lot sooner this time around, hitting the target with Fast Edition as early as Race 2, the $75,000 Restricted Maiden race over 1200m.

In their usual enthusiastic style, the happy team thronged the winner’s circle to lead in Fast Edition, their second winner for the year, but the cheers could have been a lot louder had the whole gang been complete.

“Fast Edition has two top Sri Lankan cricketers and one Ironman champion among his owners. Unfortunately they’re not here, but I’m sure they’ll be thrilled their horse has won his first race,” said Burridge's son.

“There are owners from as many as four different countries in this horse. That’s the future of racing - globalisation.”

Fast Edition, a three-year-old by Astronomer Royal, had given a peek of some ability at his three previous starts, all on Polytrack, but nothing like the way he pinged away at his first run on turf on Sunday.

After Fast Edition ($23) took a cushy sit behind the pace set by Ming’s Boy (David Flores) and Bourbon Captain (Salim Yusoff), jockey Corey Brown still had a lapful and looked to be in the zone - until they hit a spot of bother at the top of the straight.

Fast Edition noticeably stumbled and misstrode for a while as he nudged his way out onto Rio De Janeiro (Manoel Nunes), but Brown's expert hands were able to quickly regather him before driving him to an impressive 1 ½-length win from Storm Trooper (Michael Rodd) who was a trifle unlucky when he got a bit squeezed halfway up the home straight.

Excellent Magic (Alan Munro) ran on fairly to run third another length away. The winning time was 1min 10.61secs for the 1200m on the Short Course.

Favourite Ninetysevenemperor (Craig Newitt) came from the rear to run fourth another 1 ½ lengths away, but had every chance when he was angled out to the extreme outside upon straightening.

“He trialled on grass in Sydney and he showed he liked that surface today,” said Steven Burridge.

“At his last start, he was four wide and struggled a bit. I think he has a nice future here.”

Brown said Fast Edition has finally showed his worth when he was switched to turf.

“He’s a very nice horse and showed his true potential on grass today,” said the Australian jockey.

“He’s been educated on grass and he showed today he was a natural racehorse on that surface.

“I was a bit worried at the top of the straight when he clipped heels and got on the wrong leg. He was a bit awkward for a while, but he got going again and was too good.”

Brown went on to ride a double when My Brothers Keeper ($19) scraped home by a nostril from Alpha Centauri (Manoel Nunes) in the next race, the $60,000 Class 4 race over 1400m. The win from the Handsome Ransom four-year-old incidentally gave trainer Stephen Gray his first 2015 success, which was also the first pin of a training double as he later picked up another win with $72 outsider Lucky Lion (Nunes) in the $35,000 Class 5 Division 1 race over 1400m.