Sydney, January 2 – Magic Albert added a 15th stakes-winner to his tally when the Guy Walter trained gelding Straight Albert showed plenty of courage to fight on and score a long head win in the Listed Tattersalls Cup at Warwick Farm on Monday.
Well ridden by Kathy O’Hara, Straight Albert settled off the pace in fourth position and challenged strongly in the straight, battling doggedly to the line to claim a tenacious victory in the 2095 metre staying test.
“He’s just gone from strength to strength,” Guy Walter said.
“He gave us the impression he’s been looking for further and it’s nice that he’s vindicated those thoughts.
“He’s a lovely horse with a lovely temperament and he’s getting better.”
Winning jockey Kathy O’Hara said she had a few anxious moments in the straight when Straight Albert was duelling with runner-up Winning Glory.
“It was a good win because he wasn’t happy on that track, it was too hard for him,” she said.
“He stuck his head in front 250
Straight Albert hasn’t missed a cheque since joining the Guy Walter stable midway through last year and has now won three on the trot.
Retained to race by his breeders, Straight Albert has the overall record of six wins and six placings from 17 starts with prizemoney of $269,260.
He is one of four winners and the first stakes-winner for the modestly bred Monongahela (USA) mare Sativa, who also has a yearling filly by Magic Albert and is back in foal to him again.
Straight Albert is the fifth Australian stakes-winner for Magic Albert this season, the son of Zeditave now well established as a proven sire of winners and more importantly, stakes-winners.
Magic Albert has 11 yearlings catalogued for the 2012 Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
