It could well be a case of one and done for Michael Lunn after Red Russian won on debut at Wellington on Monday.
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After a promising Narromine trial where he ran second, Red Russian produced the kind of tough run not often seen by a first-starter when taking out Monday's Darby Racing Maiden Handicap (900m).
Red Russian was stuck three-wide almost the entire trip but jockey Daniel Northey got the three-year-old to kick late and beat home Kaera Jaani and Casino Ace.
While the win was a promising one, the trainer had already told his brother and the gelding's owner, Wayne 'Bronco' Lunn, to look at selling.
"I told 'Bronc' to sell him, put him on the market. I reckon he'll bring good money," the winning trainer told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
Gotta Minute ($9.50) set the early pace and led from Red Russian ($6) and $2.80 favourite Kaera Jaani.
After starting from barrier nine Northey was forced to sit three deep but he and the debutant still navigated the slope at Wellington with class and despite pressure from his fellow leaders and a surging Casino Ace ($41), the hulking Red Russian went on to win by a quarter-of-a-length.
"He's a nice horse," Lunn said, Northey backing up after the trial to ride again.
"I said to Daniel this horse goes really well and he did everything right at Narromine.
"He drew a bit awkward here today but his win was good because he sat three deep the whole way.
"He was doing the work but he's a horse with some ability."
With Red Russian being such a strongly built gelding Lunn has no doubt he'll be able to cover 1400m when he matures and "grows into himself".
That opening win was followed by an early Greg Ryan hat-trick.
The champion hoop added to his stellar Wellington record by winning with Bjorn Baker's Stralex ($1.70 fav.), the Barry Molloy-trained Caszar ($5), and Rodney Northam's Settle Then Lift ($2.10 fav.).
Each of those wins were tight ones, with none recorded by more than a quarter-of-a-length.