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The Emma Stewart-trained three-year-old The Lost Storm made a one act affair of the Queensland Derby at Albion Park on Saturday night.
Sent out a $1.09 favorite, The Lost Storm worked to the lead inside the first 400 metres of the race and with driver Mark Pitt swinging on the reins, the son of Captaintreacherous wanted to go faster down the back straight on the final occasion.
When Pitt released the leather with 600m to travel, The Lost Storm quickly put a large gap on his rivals and exploded away in the home stretch to score by 16m in a mile rate of 1:55.2 for the 2680m trip.
Pitt said the winner was keen to go faster down the back straight.
“He was bolting off the back and I couldn’t hold him any slower, so I thought I’d just let him slide up and I’m sure if I had pulled the ear plugs and clicked him up he would have run home a bit quicker,” Pitt said.
The Lost Storm ran his last 800m in 54.2.
Pitt said the horse settled well once he found the lead.
“He’s such a great colt to do what he’s done so far and he did that tonight with ease,” he said.
“You can chase him off the gate a little bit and then he does drop the bit which is good, and he had to over the 2600 tonight.
“He probably had a little bit of class on those ones tonight.”
The Lost Storm has now firmed from $8 into $6 for the TAB Eureka at Menangle in September.
Pitt believes The Lost Storm will be competitive against the older horses in the race.
“Being a three-year-old he’s going to get the draw over the four-year-olds, but I don’t think he’s going to be that far behind them,” he said.
Fellow Victorian Rockinwithattitude completed a Queensland Trotters Oaks/Derby double with victory in the later feature on Saturday night.
Trainer-driver David Miles raised his whip in triumph as his star filly crossed the line well clear of her rivals to bring up her 13th victory at career start 19.
The result follows an Oaks/Derby double in New South Wales during May and lifts her lifetime prize earnings up over $250,000.
Rockinwithattitude claimed her first Group 1 triumph in last year’s Vicbred Super Series 2YO Trotting Fillies’ Final and her upcoming assignment will now be to defend her crown in the three-year-old ranks during September.
