LEADING reinsman Gareth Rattray believes talented three-year-old Beautide is probably one of the best two or three of his age in Tasmania.
Rattray made the assessment after the gelding won the V75 $10,000 3YO Championship in Launceston on Sunday night, coming from behind to swamp his rivals over the concluding stages.
Beautide stormed home to score by over seven metres from Kristins Niadh with Really Western 1-1/2 metres away third.
“He’s a nice horse and we’ve got high hopes for him,” Rattray said after the win.
“At this stage I’d have to rate him in the best two or three of his age in the state.”
Despite the eventual easy win, the gelding didn’t look to be travelling like the winner as the field charged towards the home turn.
“He was hanging in a bit and I wanted to save him for the home straight.”
“I like to sit and sprint on him if I can but he is fairly versatile as he can also lead and win if he has to,” he said.
Beautide was one of last season’s top two-year-olds with his win in the $25,000 Betfair Sweepstakes final arguably his best during that campaign.
He is trained by Barrie Rattray and raced by the Rattray Family trust.
The trainer is on record last season as saying he believed Beautide had the makings of a very good horse and he might start to show that as a three-year-old.
So far he is unbeaten from three starts this season and is full steam ahead towards the three-0year-old feature races.