Detroit City on path to spring glory
Leading Victorian stallion Toronado (High Chaparral) may have an early spring Classics contender after Detroit City stepped up to city class to make it two wins in two starts on Saturday at Flemington.
Following an impressive four-length victory on a Heavy 10 surface in a 1200-metre Wodonga two-year-old handicap, the gelding handled metro level with aplomb with a dominant 2.5 length success in Saturday’s card-opening three-year-old Benchmark 70 (1410m).
Detroit City’s effort called to mind a similarly emphatic third-start win in the same race two years ago for Berkeley Square (Territories). The Dan O’Sullivan-trained gelding became a major spring contender, running fourth in the Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m), winning Moonee Valley’s Drummond Golf Vase (Gr 2, 2040m), and running sixth as second-favourite in the VRC Derby (Gr 1, 2500m).
Young Ballarat trainer Dom Sutton said Detroit City could be set for a similar path.
Bookmakers reacted to yesterday’s win by turning him into $26 for the $3 million Guineas, at Caulfield on October 12. And while he’s not yet in the market for the $2 million Derby at Flemington on November 2, Sutton said his bloodlines put the race on his horizon.
The versatile Toronado’s six Group 1 winners include European-breds Tribhuvan and Bois D’Argent – successful at up to 2200 metres and 2000 metres respectively – while Senor Toba, a Group 3 winner in Australia and Hong Kong, has won up to 2400 metres.
While Detroit City’s dam Elle Gagne (Pour Moi) won twice over 1005 metres and 1200 metres, her sire is an Epsom Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner by a noted staying sire in Montjeu (Sadler’s Wells).
Detroit City has a 3m x 4m duplication of Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer) and is also line-bred to Darshaan (Shirley Heights), damsire of both High Chaparral and Pour Moi.
“In time, he might be a ten-furlong-plus horse. His dam’s out of Pour Moi, who won an Epsom Derby, so he’s got a bit of staying in his pedigree,” Sutton said.
“He’s a nice, big, robust horse with a big stride on him, and I love the way that he quickened as well.
“Fingers crossed we can finish up in some of those bigger races in the spring.”
Starting $3.40 favourite in a keen betting race despite the small field, Detroit City settled fifth of the six starters on Saturday well off the pace set by Pieris (Snitzel) who, backed up by trainer Robbie Laing after winning a 1000-metre Sale maiden on Thursday, ultimately faded to run last.
Jockey Billy Egan allowed Detroit City to make ground on his own terms entering the straight, before urging him hands and heels past the 300-metre pole, whereupon the sizable gelding burst clear to win easily from Big Brute (Brutal) with Warparty (Hellbent) a further 3.5 lengths back in third.
“He was bang on today,” said Sutton, who began training in his own right late last year after serving as foreman to Leon and Troy Corstens.
“I love the way he dropped his head and settled in behind. He’s been a horse we’ve put up on speed in his trials, and last start at Wodonga, so it was nice to see him tuck in behind and switch off.
“We wanted to see what he did today. And I’d say he’s now up to bringing back for the spring time. He might just have a light let-up and then we’ll look at some of those nicer races in the spring for him.”
Swettenham Stud’s Toronado finished the 2023-24 season in 13th place on the general sires’ table, but second among Victorian-based stallions behind Yulong’s Written Tycoon (Iglesia).
Toronado, who finished fifth by winners nationwide (145 from 298 runners), will stand his tenth season at Swettenham this spring, at an unchanged $88,000 (inc GST).
Detroit City, a $200,000 Inglis Easter buy from the Twin Hills draft for Sutton and McKeever Bloodstock last year, is the second of only two foals born through five stud seasons for the fertility-challenged Elle Gagne.
She missed in 2021 to Impending (Lonhro), and in 2022 to Nicconi (Bianconi) and Ghaiyyath (Dubawi), before being covered by Yulong’s Grunt (O’Reilly) last spring.