Jethro Tull sings a winning tune at Te Rapa

Progressive sprinter Jethro Tull (NZ) (Wrote) showed his open class rivals a clean set of heels on his favourite track when he led throughout to claim the John Callinan Memorial (1300m) at Te Rapa.

The Brent Gillovic-prepared son of Wrote looked perfectly placed on the 54kg minimum for the event and when rider Warren Kennedy sent him straight to the front to dictate proceedings on the Heavy10 surface, warning bells began to ring for his rivals.

Kennedy played his hand with precision, stacking the field up before quickening prior to the home bend and shooting away to a handy lead upon straightening.

It was the winning of the race as Jethro Tull found plenty to comfortably hold his rivals at bay by more than seven lengths at the winning post, with stablemates Little Bit Of Love (NZ) (Time Test) and Uderzo (NZ) (Vadamos) making up ground to finish in the minor placings.

Gillovic was a happy man afterwards although he affectionately called his charge a lunatic due to his antics prior to the race.

“It is a fantastic result and beyond my dreams to be honest,” Gillovic said.

“He is an ignorant bludger and when I was saddling him up today I was thinking this horse is either going to be real good or real bad as he was a lunatic out there.

“He got a soft lead although I was a little concerned when he was stuck to the fence as I didn’t think it was the place to be, but he (Kennedy) knows what he is doing.

“They have said that he feels like a Group horse when he gets on a wet track and although I don’t want to sound like an idiot, we have been thinking about the Foxbridge Plate (Gr.2, 1200m) here at the start of the new season.”

Kennedy knew he was on a winner when he asked his mount to extend in the home straight.

“He was very well and going to the start he felt excellent under me,” he said.

“He pinged the gates and he loves to do his own thing. When I asked him, he started extending and at the 200m I gave him another squeeze and he responded again so I knew they weren’t going to catch me.

“He just followed the rail and he has won a good race.”

Bred and raced by Gillovic, and his son Kurtis, Jethro Tull is a son of their resident Highview Stud stallion Wrote and the Lonhro mare Flute, a half-sister to multiple Hong Kong stakes winner and Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2500m) placegetter Ain’t Here (Dehere).

He has now won four of his 16 starts, with three of those victories coming at Te Rapa, and more than $108,000 in prizemoney.