Post-race palpitation or prophecy? Tye Angland will get a chance to test his theory about Rosebud conqueror Scissor Kick in the Up And Coming Stakes on Saturday.
"You sort of get excited straight after races," Angland joked after telling connections the colt would not be beaten over 1300 metres or further after The Rosebud. "But he did give me that feel that he wants a little bit further and he feels like a really nice horse in the making."
That really nice horse in the making is just one of a handful Paul Messara has left in training at Scone as he juggles stud duties during the breeding season at the family's Arrowfield farm and a scaling down in the training caper.
Scissor Kick headlines Messara's two-pronged attack on the group 3 race for three-year-olds, which includes raw Kembla Grange maiden winner Panzer Division. The pair hold Caulfield Guineas entries for later in the spring.
Angland said the reason for his buoyant post-race comments about Scissor Kick stemmed from the margin he opened up in the closing stages in the colt's first stakes win.
"That's why I was excited for him to step up in distance," Angland said. "He [runner-up Better Land] was going to pick him up when he [Scissor Kick] went through that flat spot, but the last 100 he really gathered himself and went away from them.
"I'm sure there's a lot of improvement because he's so young and raw. He's going to put it together and he's going to be a very nice horse."
Ladbrokes has the first two over the line in The Rosebud as the top two in the Up And Coming market, but Better Land ($4.20) shaded Scissor Kick ($5) in an open betting race.
Angland's other feature mount on Saturday, Warwick Stakes contender Hawkspur, is not nearly as fancied in betting, but wound up late when resuming in the Missile Stakes.
It means the former Hong Kong-based hoop is starting to reap the benefits of ploughing on through winter after returning permanently from the Asian racing mecca.
"I think I came back at the right time to get my name out there and kick off the season and it's worked out well," Angland said. "[Chris] Waller has been great, [Paul] Messara and Anthony Cummings have been giving me great opportunities and I can get stuck into a few good horses and win a couple of nice races through the carnival."
