Colby Sanz wins classic for Rattray stable
• Classic winner Colby Sanz with driver John Walters, owners’ representative Hannah Bennett, stablehand Georgia Hayward, and trainer Kent Rattray. Photo by Stacey Lear.
By Duncan Dornauf
July 17, 2019
A trip to the 2013 Soho Standardbreds Clearance sale in Victoria is paying dividends for Ringarooma owner-breeders Nathan and Sandra Bennett who were celebrating another Sires Stakes victory on Sunday when Colby Sanz took out the Group 2 Dandy Patch Classic in Hobart.
Trained by Kent Rattray at Lietinna, the two year old gelding driven by John Walters led from the outset forcing favourite Kohanah to race outside him over the 2090 journey.
After a 64.9s first half of the final mile, the two runners cleared out from their rivals at the 600-metre mark, but over the concluding stages Colby Sanz was able to pull clear over Kohanah to score by 6.8 metres with Rockandahardplace, also trained by Rattray, a further 5.8 metres away third.
The mile rate for the 2090-metre distance was 2m 4.7s on the rain-affected track.
Winning trainer Kent Rattray, like many, was concerned with Kohanah missing the prelude of the race nine-days prior.
“There was always some doubt over Kohanah as if he was a 100% he would have been here in the prelude last week, he did do a good job to run second,” Rattray said post-race on Tasracing’s live stream coverage.
Rattray who had three horses in the final said: “They have done a super job this year” and will now give the horses a break.
Rattray is wasting no time on his plot to win next year's event and is about to commence the preparation of his next generation of youngsters.
“Next week it will be full scale into the yearlings and getting them ready for next season,” the winning trainer said.
That crop includes a full brother to Colby Sanz, who is already named Stormy Sanz another owned and bred by the Bennett family.
Bennett’s decision to enhance their breeding stock and purchase two mares at the Soho Standardbreds Clearance sale including Soho Summer for $3,000 is proving to be a good business decision.
Soho Sumer has produced two Tasmanian Sires’ Stakes winners this season with Sunny Sanz (Globe Derby Stakes) and his half brother Colby Sanz in last night's colts and geldings feature, they are the only two horses of racing age out of the mare.
“They have been with me for 10 to 15 years and have been friends of mine since we were kids, their parents raced horses with my parents so it's a family tradition and we are lucky Nathan went to the mainland and purchased those quality mares and they are now producing quality horses,” Rattray explained.
While Rattray took all the limelight on Sunday, fellow trainers Rohan Hadley and Brooke Hammond gained second places with Diddley Bow and Moonlite Bay respectively at the Launceston meeting on Friday night.