In Brief
- Our Little Ted delivers in Class 1 to break long run of outs for trainer.
- Reward for owners' patience.
- Four-year-old expected to be better on turf.
Talented young trainer Cameron Thompson was starting to wonder if he would ever train another winner but the ice was broken in Devonport on Sunday when his lightly raced four-year-old Our Little Ted scampered home along the rails to win Carlton Draught Class 1 over 1150 metres.
It was Thompson’s first winner since late 2019 and ironically that was Our Little Ted in a maiden in Launceston 10 months ago.
“That’s my first winner since this horse won for me in November last year and it brings to an end the longest drought of my training career,” Thompson said.
“I’m glad it was this horse that broke the drought because the owners entrusted the horse to me last year and after winning his maiden, they have been so patient.
“I really don’t think he likes this synthetic surface and we were really hoping to go to Hobart for this meeting but when it was transferred, we persevered, and it’s paid off.
“I dropped him back to 1150m today and to be honest I thought he might be found out at this trip but the way the race was run it played into his hands”
Our Little Ted ($5.50) settled third on the rails behind the leader and race favourite War Correspondent ($3.20) with Mystical Warrior ($3.30) second and Divisor ($4.40) was ideally placed one-out-and one-back.
War Correspondent responded when challenged by Mystical Warrior but when Siggy Carr eased Divisor three-wide to stake his claim that gelding was being hailed the winner.
But when Bulent Muhcu asked Our Little Ted for the big effort about 150 metres out, the gelded son of Wordsmith lifted and went on to score by almost a length from War Correspondent with Divisor edging out Mystical Warrior for third.
Our Little Ted is a half-brother to champion stayer Eastender that in 2019 became the first horse since Brallos to win the Devonport, Hobart and Launceston Cups in the same season.
“I don’t think Ted is in the same league as his famous half-brother, but he definitely tries and I am looking forward to him getting back on the turf.”
It might have been Thompson’s first winner for the season but going into the race he had saddled up 10 minor placegetters and 15 others had finished close enough for the jockeys to have weighed in (fourths and fifths) from 48 starters.
Watch Our Little Ted flash home along the rails to win in Devonport on Sunday.