Group One performer To Catch A Thief is a maiden no longer after taking out the Betta Inspect It Premier (1300m) at Matamata on Wednesday.
The four-year-old gelding was having his first start for Joanne Surgenor, having previously been trained by Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall, for whom he placed in 10 of his 14 starts for the Matamata conditioners.
The son of U S Navy Flag was a standout juvenile, running third in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m), Gr.1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m), Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) and Listed Champagne Stakes (1600m). He returned as a three-year-old where he posted the same result in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m), but he was unable to breakthrough for a maiden win.
He joined Surgenor's Ardmore stable ahead of his four-year-old season and he has done nothing but impress the South Auckland horsewoman, who was hopeful of a positive result on Wednesday.
In the hands of leading hoop Opie Bosson, To Catch A Thief jumped well from barrier eight and was pushed forward and assumed the lead at the 1000m mark. It didn't look like it would be his day once more when he was headed by Richard And I when turning for home, but he dug deep and recaptured the lead, running on to win by half a length over the Andrew Forsman-trained runner.
Surgenor was rapt to get the result for his ownership group, which includes Ashford Lodge's Peter and Sherin Walker, whose silks are carried by the gelding.
"It is just a relief," Surgenor said. "He has cracked his maiden finally and we are on the road.
"I was a little bit nervous (when he was headed at the top of the straight), but I thought it was his day to get in and have a fight and he did, he dug in. It was a beautiful ride by Opie as always.
"I am grateful for the owners to have an opportunity with such a lovely horse."
Feature targets now await To Catch A Thief , with Surgenor's ultimate aim being the $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie on Karaka Millions night in January.
"I am thinking the Karaka four-year-old," she said.
"I was just waiting to see what happened today, how we went, and how he was. Now I can sit down and start mapping out a plan to hopefully get there."
