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'Very green' Metallocene will only get better

Trainer Baertschiger has a good galloper in the making

The withdrawal of the two top picks in yesterday's $75,000 Restricted Maiden race over 1,200m might have enhanced the winning chances of METALLOCENE but trainer Shane Baertschiger was still impressed with his ward's superlative performance.

Conatus G, who was well in the market, was withdrawn earlier before new nominal favourite and impressive two-time trial winner My Gold had to be taken out at the gates.

The race was suddenly thrown wide open, but it was Metallocene who went on to stamp his authority in the reduced 10-strong field, coming off a cosy run in fifth on the rails to shoot clear to a three-and-a-quarter length win from Basilisk (Olivier Placais) with Gallant Eclipse (Vlad Duric) third another short head away. The winning time was 1:11.24sec for the 1,200m on the Short Course.

Baertschiger said that the Darci Brahma three-year-old had largely benefitted from his debut in a similar event when he hung out at the top of the straight and still plodded on for a four-length fifth despite being very green for Matthew Kellady.

The galloper still gave jockey John Powell a bit of a wrestling match in the home straight, but his gross raw ability luckily came to the fore in the end.

"He was very green at his first run. He was in a one-out one back position and he hung out when one horse carried him off the fence," said Baertschiger.

"He was on the fence today and he couldn't hang, but he's still got a funny running action. But he won easily and was even eased out in the end.

"No doubt the favourites were taken out, but he still won well and I think he could have still won with them in the race. He's a Darci Brahma and will get more ground."

“No doubt the favourites were taken out, but he still won well and I think he could have still won with them in the race. He’s a Darci Brahma and will get more ground.”Trainer Shane Baertschiger on Metallocene

Powell jumped off with a big smile but said the pathway between Metallocene's brains and his legs was still a bit out of whack even if there was definitely a nice engine in there.

"He's a gangly horse who doesn't want to be a racehorse right now. His legs don't match his heart," said the Australian jockey.

"I tried to come off the fence and he had other ideas. He has badly shaped legs and was awkward around horses. When he hit the front, he did it again. He's still very green but he has a lot of ability.

"I didn't hit him once in the straight."

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