Great staying effort at Geelong

The step up to 2400 metres enabled Harold The Great to break his maiden at Geelong on Friday afternoon.

Trained by Chris Waller, the three-year-old coasted to a decisive victory under jockey John Allen who had to revert to Plan B to deliver the ideal outcome.

Stewards had been advised the Waikato Stud-bred and sold son of Savabeel would be ridden more forward today, but the gelding didn’t begin quickly and settled fourth last one off the rail.

Rider John Allen set him alight 600 metres from home and he swept to the front on straightening and stayed on strongly to score by a length and a-quarter.

“I gave him a squeeze and he quickened up well around the home bend,” he said.

“He tended to hang in up the straight, but the race was put to bed by then. It was a good, tough effort.”

Harold The Great was purchased at Karaka by Waller and bloodstock agent Guy Mulcaster for $320,000 and is a son of the Pins mare Snowdrop, who is in foal to Noverre.

She won on six occasions up to 1200 metres and her dam Daffodil was a top-class performer who was successful three time at Group 1 level.

It is also the family of the top-flight winners Aegon, Atishu and Good Faith.