The Championships 2015: Sure And Fast earns a ticket to Randwick

Bede Murray didn’t like the way his horse was handicapped but the wily trainer was happy to be wrong as Sure And Fast booked a place in The Championships at Randwick next month.

Having his third start after an injury-enforced lay-off, Sure And Fast ($4.80) left his older rivals with barely an excuse as he swept to a 2-1/2 length win in a qualifying heat restricted to provincial-trained horses at Wyong on Thursday.

“I was concerned that being a three-year-old he was poorly in under the scale of weights but he was good enough to overcome it,” Murray said.

Sure And Fast showed glimpses of promise during his first season of racing but Murray said a serious leg injury almost ended the chestnut’s career.

“He tore a suspensory ligament in his sesamoid and he had to have six months off,” Murray said.

“The vets told me if I had given him one more run he could have been finished.”

Jockey Jason Collett ensured Sure And Fast made a smooth start from a favourable barrier and he settled his mount in fifth, well within striking distance of the leader and race favourite Oxford Poet.

Just as importantly, Collett was able to follow the strongly fancied Selectify ($6) until the turn and when he eased his mount out to make a run, the race was over in a matter of strides.

Selectify finished second, a neck in front of Radical Impact ($31) and both horses will also progress to the final at Randwick on April 11.

In between, Murray plans to give Sure And Fast another run to have the horse at his peak for the $300,000 race.

“He’ll go to Albury for the Guineas now and that will top him off beautifully for the final,” the trainer said.

More provincial heats will be held at Kembla Grange, Hawkesbury, Gosford and Newcastle.

Article from justhorseracing.com.au

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