By Matt Markham
As a $200,000 yearling the pressure has always been on You Gotta Have Faith, but this season might be the chance for him to pay back the faith shown in him by his owners, Mark and Dennis Dunford.
The royally bred 3-year-old certainly started off on the right hoof when he booked himself a spot in the rich New Zealand Sires’ Stakes Final on Cup Day with a bold victory in Friday night’s heat at Addington Raceway.
A descendant of Charlie Roberts wonderful family, You Gotta Have Faith has not only the pressure of the big price tag to contend with but an incredible family heritage as well.
“He’s got a fair bit on him already when you look at it,” Natalie Rasmussen, who co-trains the gelding and was also in the bike on Friday night, said.
“We always thought he’d be a better three-year-old than what he was at two and he’s come back bigger and stronger this time in and hopefully he should be in for a good season.”
He will need to be though with a couple of high class stablemates in More The Better and Ultimate Machete still to join the Sires’ Stakes fray.
Rasmussen was able to steal the race on Friday night – producing some incredibly slow sectionals.
Although she put that more down to the horse’s inability to take the bit in his mouth and run along than anything else.
“He just didn’t really want to go, so I thought getting him out and running would help, but it clearly didn’t early on.”
After settling back in the field she moved forward to parked with a lap left to run and pulled the field almost down to a light canter.
“He didn’t want to get into it and get running until another horse came up beside him.
“But he did fight when the others ranged up to him at the top of the straight, he kept finding when I asked him for an effort and that’s a good sign.
“He should be in for a good wee season this guy.”
In the stall next to You Gotta Have Faith things weren’t quite so rosy.
Stablemate and race favourite, Bettor Be Gold and Mark Purdon were flat keeping up at the 400 metre mark.
“There was nothing there when I asked him to run up onto the back of them coming around the bend.
“It’s a little disappointing because he has trialled so well in the lead up to this week.”
Afterdinnerspeaker from the Ken and Tony Barron stable was a solid second in the heat, booking himself a spot in the rich final while Mongolian Storm was brave after sitting parked before fighting on strongly to finish third.
It was the Tim Butt trained The Bachelor who really caught the attention after his good win the week before.
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