THREE-YEAR-OLD Altar Boy’s win at the Sunshine Coast on the weekend has him on track to follow in the footsteps of his older half brother.
Altar Boy and four-year-old Choir Boy, who both have the same connections and are both in the Kendrick Racing stable, are out of Julia’s Mission.
Choir Boy has won five of 20 starts for more than $130,000 in prize money.
Altar Boy’s weekend win took his record to three wins in 12 starts, for a touch over $114,000 in prize money. He looks on track to emulate, or surpass, the feats of his older half brother.
On Sunday, he showed plenty of determination, racing off the pace, bursting through along the inside, and holding on to win a 3YO Class 2 (1200m).
Ridden by Ryan Maloney, back from Group 1 success in Sydney on Saturday, Altar Boy ($7.50) won in tight three-horse finish.
Altar Boy did all of his early racing in North Queensland before switching to Kendrick Racing in September last year.
He placed at Doomben before heading for a spell after finishing unplaced in the Toowoomba Guineas, both over a mile.
He’d trialled before Sunday’s first-up win.
Trainer Stuart Kendrick said he’d told connections that he thought if they gave Altar Boy a bit of a break he’d return a nice horse.
He said he could be a bit of a “hard-going” horse.
“I said to Ryan, we just really want to try to teach him to relax today and give him a nice smother, which he did – nice soft hands on him.
“I think he’ll probably be better when he gets up to 1400 and a mile.”
Altar Boy following in footsteps of half-brother
