Battlefield has cemented his status as one of racing's rising stars, becoming the first three-year-old to win the Listed Ramornie Handicap at Grafton in more than a decade.Grand sprinter Cangronde was a three-year-old when he beat the older horses in 1996 but he was more seasoned, achieving the feat at his 13th start while Battlefield was lining up for just the seventh time on Wednesday.Trainer Paul Messara was thrilled to come away with the major race spoils and confirmed Battlefield would now
Battlefield has cemented his status as one of racing's rising stars, becoming the first three-year-old to win the Listed Ramornie Handicap at Grafton in more than a decade.
Grand sprinter Cangronde was a three-year-old when he beat the older horses in 1996 but he was more seasoned, achieving the feat at his 13th start while Battlefield was lining up for just the seventh time on Wednesday.
Trainer Paul Messara was thrilled to come away with the major race spoils and confirmed Battlefield would now be spelled and set for a spring campaign in Melbourne.
"He is the first three-year-old to win in a while so it's pretty pleasing," Messara said on Sky Channel.
"I'm very excited with today's win.
"His owners, Alan Jones, John Leaver and my father (Arrowfield Stud boss John Messara) have been very supportive of me so I couldn't be happier for them."
The striking-looking Battlefield, who with his chestnut coat and pale mane and tail resembles a Palomino, was allowed to find his feet early by leading Sydney apprentice Daniel Ganderton.
Ganderton moved him to within striking distance of the leaders rounding the home turn and Battlefield ($3.30) finished powerfully to defeat the locally-trained Forestreno ($20) by three-quarters of a length with Attackum ($16) a long neck away third.
Favourite News Alert ($2.60) led but found little when challenged and finished ninth.
Messara and Ganderton, who is apprenticed to Gai Waterhouse, are proving to be a strong team.
They combined for a double at Eagle Farm earlier this month with Battlefield in the Ascot Handicap and two-year-old Savoia while Ganderton also won the Queensland Cup aboard Cape Breton for Danny Williams on the same afternoon.
While Messara and Ganderton took the honours in the Ramornie, Tim Martin and Tye Angland proved a formidable combination early in the day by winning four of the first five races.
They opened their account with Endear in the second race and followed it up with wins to Street Lover, Godfather and Morecambe Bay in the Grafton Guineas.
They fleetingly looked a chance of adding the Ramornie to their tally when Teasing loomed up in the straight but she was outsprinted by Battlefield in the run home and finished fourth.