PRESSDAY SHINES IN US DEBUT

Having his first run in five months, Eliza Park stallion prospect and Group One winning two year old, PRESSDAY, produced a stellar performance at Santa Anita on Friday (Australian time), running second in a star studded allowance event over 1300m.

Sent to the Californian stables of leading trainer, John Sadler, Pressday was caught wide throughout and had the double whammy of racing counter clockwise for only the second time in his career and became unbalanced when he had to run over a dirt section of the track.

Despite getting on his wrong leg, Pressday fought on strongly over the final stages to just miss by a head – indeed, two strides past the post, the flashy bay entire was in front.

It was an exceptionally strong field: the winner, Carbonite, has now won three of his last four assignments and was fourth in the Group One Big Crosby last year; third horse, Leroy’s Dynameaux is a Group Three winner and multiple stakes placed; fourth horse, Make Music For Me, run placings behind Lookin At Lucky as a 2YO before finishing fourth in the Kentucky Derby; while the also rans included Group One placed juvenile Sayif.

Winner of the Group One TJ Smith as a 2YO, following successive victories in the QTC Sires’ Produce-G2 and Champagne Classic-G2, Pressday will now be targeted at the prestigious Frank E. Kilroe Mile Handicap, a Group One on grass at Santa Anita on 3 March.

Having booked a berth at Eliza Park’s stallion barn when his racing career is done, Pressday is by the successful Red Ransom stallion, Domesday and hails from a rock solid black type family.