Racing: Shoot Out sets sights on autumn features

SYDNEY - Brilliant Queensland gelding Shoot Out has confirmed his position among the top echelon of autumn 3-year-olds in Sydney with an explosive finish to win the Randwick Guineas on Saturday.

Trainer John Wallace admitted his heart was in his mouth when his charge was boxed in back in the field coming round the home turn but he was all smiles at the 200m.

"He had to push out but he finished quick, eh?" Wallace asked.

"I was worried but I thought if he gets out he wins and that's what happened. He's a good, good horse."

Gathering and Monton crossed over from wide alleys and set a solid pace with Shoot Out, the $3 favourite, back midfield.

As Stathi Katsidis tried to take him through a run in the straight, Shoot Out was held up and almost stumbled.

Once in the clear he picked up his rivals in a few bounds and went on to beat Viking Legend ($12) by three-quarters of a length with another Queenslander Captain Sonador ($12) a short neck third.

"He nearly fell at the 250m," Katsidis said.

"That makes the win even better. He's such a long horse and he got screwed sideways.

"[I thought] no way you can come back but he bullocked his way through.

"It was a sensational win."

Wallace said the Rosehill Guineas (2000m) in two weeks would be the next mission for Shoot Out after which he and the horse's owners would decide whether to bring him back in distance for the Doncaster (1600m) on April 17 or head to the AJC Australia Derby (2400m) a week earlier.

Gai Waterhouse was happy with the effort of Viking Legend who she said was a real Derby type.

It was Viking Legend's third group one placing after thirds in the Spring Champion Stakes and Victoria Derby.

"In the spring, he kept running into Monaco Consul and now this horse," she said.

"But he is very exciting and will get better as the races get longer."

Captain Sonador's trainer Roger Milne said he had used Shoot Out as his measuring stick in Queensland and the form had held true.

"I used Shoot Out as the benchmark to come down to Sydney," Milne said.

"He's proved there's not much between them.

"He got held up for a bit today and I think it might have been closer if he had got out."

Captain Sonador will join most of the field in the Rosehill Guineas to try to topple Shoot Out whose three starts in Sydney have resulted in a win in the Royal Sovereign Stakes and second to Monton in the Hobartville Stakes before Saturday.

It has been 28 years between group one victories for Wallace but he said he had had few runners in the interim.

"It's not like I've been in many but this bloke could win a few more," he said.

- AAP