Road trip pays off for son of Charge Forward

Cranbourne trainer Stephen Theodore sent 3YO Road Trippin’ north for this afternoon’s Albury Guineas and came away with the gelding’s fourth win, almost $80,000 prizemoney and a class record time.

Pictured: Road Trippin’, bred by the partnership of Arrowfield, Planette Thoroughbred & Belford Productions, seen at Moonee Valley last September. (PHOTO: Sportpix)

Travelling seems to suit the presciently named son of Charge Forward . Albury is the 11th track he has raced on in his 17-start career and the Albury win follows a win at Morphettville earlier this month.

Today he drew wide and raced there for the first few hundred metres, until jockey John Kissick settled him towards the rear of the field. Heading towards the turn, he worked Road Trippin’ forward into space and found a generous response when the field lined up for the final run for the judge.

Road Trippin’s winning margin was 2.8 lengths and his time for the 1400 metres on a Heavy8 track was 1.28.77. His $29,660 prizemoney was significantly boosted by the $50,000 Inglis bonus attached to the race.

Road Trippin’, from the Flying Spur mare Road to Damascus, was bought from the Bellerive Stud draft at the Inglis 2011 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale.

Theodore returned a year later to buy his full brother, now the 2YO stakeswinner Crack A Roadie, and earlier this month signed for the half-brother by Manhattan Rain. He and his owners are already well ahead of the game with a total outlay of $122,500 for prizemoney of more than $360,000.

They’ll have to take a break in 2014 because Road to Damascus missed in 2011, but she is safely in foal again, this time to All American.

Charge Forward, sire of 5 stakeswinners this season, is represented by a choice group of 8 yearlings at the Inglis Australian Easter Sale, including a sister to 2YO stakeswinner Assail, and a half-sister to Blue Diamond G1 winner Reaan, both in the Arrowfield draft, here .