After placings in the first two juvenile stakes races of the season, Gai Waterhouse celebrated a winner when Whittington took out the Breeders’ Plate at Randwick.

The Waterhouse-trained Shahad ran third in the Gimcrack Stakes in which favourite Sugar Rush finished sixth while at Flemington Rockford flashed home for second in the Superracing Stakes.

Whittington was the $3.20 second elect behind stablemate War ($2.60) but strode past him easily to win by three lengths.

Tommy Berry, who rode Whittington in a recent barrier trial when he rattled home after missing the start, said things at gone right for the colt on Saturday.

“He was better at the barriers and took a step forward at the time the gates opened,” Berry said.

“He walked forward at the right time so there was a bit of luck but he was also a lot better.

“He’s a lovely big colt and the perfect two-year-old.”

Whittington was a $145,000 Magic Millions yearling bought by Star Thoroughbreds syndicator Denise Martin who admitted his looks swayed her.

“I wasn’t that keen to buy him because his pedigree page didn’t jump out at me,” she said,

“But when I looked at him he was an exceptional individual, a really beautiful specimen.”

Sebring, who was raced by Star Thoroughbreds, won the Breeders’ Plate on his way to the 2008 Golden Slipper while Martin’s purple and white colours were carried by this year’s Magic Millions winner Driefontein.

“I leave all the scheduling up to Gai but I know this is an exciting colt,” Martin said.