Stayer runs rings around rivals

Five Rings stamped himself as a stayer of rich promise at Benalla on Friday afternoon when he made an impressive middle-distance debut.

The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained son of Savabeel doubled his career winning tally from a handful of appearances when he romped home over 2100 metres.

Rider Beau Mertens had been instructed to go forward on the Waikato Stud-bred and sold Five Rings and they crossed from a wide barrier to sit close to the pace.

They were third at the top of the straight before the four-year-old lengthened stride to comfortably put away his opposition.

“He’s a very progressive horse who is doing everything right,” stable representative Stephanie Wright said.

Five Rings broke his maiden over a mile at Bendigo three runs back before he finished midfield over 1800 metres at Sandown.

“He threw it away after he knuckled over at the start and the step up in trip has done him the world of good today,” Wright said.

Five Rings was sold on behalf of Waikato Stud by Ohukia Lodge at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale to Price and agent Phill Cataldo for $200,000.

He is out of the Pins mare Daisy Chain, who is in foal to Noverre, and she is a half-sister to the Matamata farm’s three-time elite level winner Daffodil.

Atishu, Aegon and Good Faith are other Group 1-winning members to feature on the pedigree page.