KEY POINTS:
West Australian Scenic Blast came back from a wind operation last spring to beat the best sprinters in the land and give trainer Danny Morton his first group one winner in the Lightning Stakes at Flemington on Saturday.
Among those left in his wake were Weekend Hussler ($2.50 fav) who ran a creditable dead-heat fourth with 3-year-old colt Wilander ($7), while Apache Cat ($4.80) disappointed for the second time down the straight finishing ninth, mystifying trainer Greg Eurell.
On the line Weekend Hussler was going home better than any other runner. His jockey Brad Rawiller was criticised by trainer Ross McDonald for going towards the inside in the 1000m straight dash rather than staying outside horses from barrier nine in the 11-horse field.
The David Hayes-trained Seventh Rock who ran last was having his first Australian start after doing all of his earlier racing in South Africa and hung in and took Weekend Hussler in before Rawiller made his move, but the jockey said he always had clear running.
Eurell said Apache Cat, who was racing inside Weekend Hussler before drifting back, would run next in the Australia Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley next Saturday week, a race also on the agenda for Weekend Hussler.
"I thought he was cherry ripe for today, he was super well," Eurell said.
"Corey [jockey Corey Brown] said he felt like he was looking for a bit more ground and that when he hit the line he was rolling."
But it was Morton and heavyweight rider Steven Arnold's day with Scenic Blast whose sire, the now defunct Sadler's Wells stallion Scenic, showed his versatility by siring last year's Melbourne Cup winner Viewed and now a Lightning Stakes winner.
Scenic Blast, an A$85,000 WA Magic Millions yearling purchase, has been ultra-consistent, racing 15 times for six wins, five seconds and two thirds.
Arnold, who was runner-up on Swick in last year's Lightning after winning the race on Spinning Hill in 2002, was at his brilliant best on Scenic Blast and brought him from last after drawing barrier one to get to the outside to make his run.
The $19 chance had an explosive finishing sprint to score by a length from dual group one-winning Sydney sprinter Typhoon Zed, who was backed form $21 to start at $13, with Grand Duels ($26) a long head away third.
Morton said he knew Scenic Blast was on target for a Melbourne summer and autumn campaign when he resumed with a second, giving 8kg to the winner Dante's Volonte, over 1100m at Ascot on January 10.
- AAP
