Six-year-old gelding The Creator (NZ) (Wrote) led throughout to claim the Ladbrokes Top 2/3/4 Betting Handicap (1600m) at The Valley on Saturday under a perfect Logan Bates ride.
Trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr put their faith in the two-kilo claimer who elected to take up proceedings from the inside barrier and rated the son of Wrote to perfection kicking off the bend to score by just over a length from Pudding (NZ) (Tavistock).
“He doesn’t want it firm but he doesn’t want it really heavy like it was last start and I thought it was a good play by the team to come up in grade and right down in the weights, and Logan rode him beautifully,” Kent Jnr said.
“We said to have him comfortable. We didn’t say to lead. But I thought he made a good call just to hold it, he got a few mid-race breathers and the horse was always there for him, so full credit, he has won six races now and done a great job.
“He has come back off a little wind correction, so that has clearly been a success, we have a great bunch of owners in the horse and I am rapt for all of them.”
Bates, who was crowned leading country apprentice for season 2024/25 is a jockey with a bright future.
“It was pretty simple. I just got the horse to bounce and he had a light weight,” Bates said.
“We weren’t sure if we were going to lead but Mick just alluded to me that he has a bit of a wind issue so I just wanted to keep it free flowing on him.
“Once there was no pressure early, I just let him come up underneath me and he travelled good. I let him build from the 700 with the lightweight and he kicked off the corner and put the race to bed. It was quite impressive in the end and it was good to get the win for the OTI team.
“I reckon he suits The Valley he corners really well and he is that free rolling sort of horse and this track suits that. He does have a good turn of foot too, so hopefully he comes back here.”
The son of Highview Stud stallion Wrote, The Creator is out of the Guillotine mare Go Teena (NZ) and was an impressive winner of his two starts in New Zealand for trainer Chad Ormsby, before his purchase by OTI Racing.