Penrod to debut in QTIS Jewel Prelude at Doomben after Hong Kong sale negotiations stall

Stalled negotiations to sell colt Penrod to Hong Kong could be a blessing in disguise ahead of his debut in the QTIS Jewel Prelude 2YO at Doomben on Saturday.

Stalled negotiations to sell debutant colt Penrod to Hong Kong could be a blessing in disguise for breeder-owner Richard Foster.

The David Vandyke-trained Penrod is the odds-on favourite for the QTIS Jewel Prelude 2YO (colts and geldings) at Doomben on Saturday.

A comprehensive victory would provide an enormous confidence boost for Foster and Vandyke heading into the $500,000 2YO QTIS Jewel (1200m) at the Gold Coast on March 8.

“The idea was to sell the horse to Hong Kong but we couldn’t come to an agreement with anyone from there,” Vandyke told Racenet.

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“We thought we’d go around on Saturday and see what happens.

“It’ll probably still be for sale for the right money, pending his performance.”

But if Penrod blitzes the 10-horse field at Doomben on Saturday and then performs well at Jewel day on the Gold Coast, it could turn into a completely different scenario.

“He might be too good for that (sale to Hong Kong) with a bit of luck,” said Foster, who owns breeding farm Yarramalong Park at Kalbar in Queensland’s Scenic Rim region.

“He might be able to earn what we could’ve sold him for.

“One thing I do know about him is that the horse is on an upward trajectory because this is his first prep.

“His first jumpout I thought ‘on my god, how slow’s this bugger?’ The second jumpout was totally different. His legs were still going everywhere and then he had the trial (finishing first on the Sunshine Coast on February 4).

“He still hasn’t got his action together yet so he can only get better.

“Dave says he’s only come on since the trial so that gives me a bit of confidence he’ll really race well. Obviously the market thinks something of him too.

“We’ll be there on Saturday cheering as loud as the next punter.”

• ‘Wouldn’t swap her for anything’: Bright outlook on unbeaten filly

Penrod, who will be steered by Angela Jones, is $2.30 with bookmakers to win the 2YO Prelude at Doomben on Saturday, a touch ahead of the Rob Heathcote-trained Pretty Dubious ($3.20), with Betterlucknexttime at $7.50.

Vandyke said he was “delighted” with Penrod’s recent trial given runner-up Love To Torque franked the form last weekend when he won the QTIS 2YO Handicap (1300m) at Eagle Farm, defying a massive betting drift.

“He’s a lovely horse,” he said of Penrod, whose dad Better Than Ready, a black stallion also owned by Foster, finished third in the Group 1 BTC Cup at Eagle Farm in 2013.

“He’s going to improve with experience on the run.”

Jones has a golden opportunity to close the gap on Jimmy Orman, who is now riding in Hong Kong, in the Brisbane metro jockeys’ premiership race.

With a healthy strike rate of 14 per cent, Jones is just four wins behind leader Orman.

She is booked for seven rides on Saturday, with none being at longer odds than $12.

“I’m sure she’ll be keen to get a few runs on the board while Jimmy’s away,” Vandyke said.

“She’s quite a competitive rider so it might be a good time to have her on. It’d be well deserved if she won the premiership. She works hard and she’s easy to get on with.

“She’s a good communicator and I’m hoping we can do the job together on Saturday.”

Originally published as Penrod to debut in QTIS Jewel Prelude at Doomben after Hong Kong sale negotiations stall