Underrated colt Lofty Strike primed to upset Blue Diamond Prelude fancies

Lofty Strike, a windsucker bought at a bargain price considering his pedigree, has trainer Julius Sandhu dreaming of Blue Diamond glory.

Lofty Strike cruising to victory on debut at Flemington. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

What price would Lofty Strike, a son of Snitzel out of a Golden Slipper winner, be in the Blue Diamond Prelude at Caulfield if his trainer’s surname was Maher, Freedman or Cummings?

Certainly shorter than the $10 bandied around the Julius Sandhu-trained Flemington debut winner.

Lofty Strike throttled English Riviera last start and has progressed since the slick performance.

English Riviera is the $5 second favourite to win the Blue Diamond Prelude fillies division on Saturday.

Boutique Cranbourne trainer Sandhu has two shots at Caulfield to win his first black-type race, with Sharp Response (Autumn Stakes) and Lofty Strike (Blue Diamond Prelude) in consecutive events.

“It’s going to be a bigger endorsement for the stable, as opposed to just me,” Sandhu said.

“It’s no secret, you don’t achieve any significant results single-handedly.”

Sandhu will be able to draw a line on Lofty Strike, a bargain-bought $280,000 yearling, after tackling Blue Diamond fancies Jacquinot ($2.70) and Counttheheadlights ($4.60) in the Prelude.

“If we match it with him (Jacquinot) and able to run a good race alongside that horse, I suppose, that’s going to go a long way in (Blue Diamond) predictions,” Sandhu said.

“He’s done everything right back home, matured a little bit physically, he’s an imposing animal, he’s always been forward … and progressed further past that.

“He‘s a great eater, a very confident horse, he’s ticked all the boxes he needs to tick to get to the race.”

Julius Sandhu has Blue Diamond ambitions with Lofty Strike. Picture: AAP

Lofty Strike is a noted windsucker — owing potentially his relatively cheap price at auction.

An equally well-related colt could easily attract five times the figure Lofty Thoroughbreds paid.

Wind-suckers have a tendency to latch on to objects like fence posts and proceed to inhale loudly.

The energy spent on the habit can lead to fatigued horses neglecting food.

Fortunately for Sandhu and the owners, Lofty Strike wind sucks on his feed bin almost exclusively.

“He likes his tucker just as much as he likes wind-sucking, so it hasn’t stopped him,” Sandhu said.

“If I put my arm in there he’ll eat that too.

“He eats for five minutes, wind sucks for two, then eats for five minutes, by the time he‘s finished wind-sucking he’s finished his feed as well.”

A small orange witch’s hat is also used on occasions to keep Lofty Strike busy.

“It’s rubber so it can’t hurt him, they pick it up and shake it and throw it, you can throw a small ball in there and it too keeps them occupied,” Sandhu said.

“You try and keep his mind stimulated … make his feed as interesting as possible for a horse like him, not that you need to try hard, he’s a great eater.”

Originally published as Underrated colt Lofty Strike primed to upset Blue Diamond Prelude fancies