AUTHORITATIVE has sent a warning to his rivals ahead of the inaugural Regional Championships - he has tactical speed and trainer driver Mat Rue is not afraid to use it.
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On Friday night at the Bathurst Paceway, the four-year-old gelding caught out his rivals with a blistering acceleration down the back straight.
He blazed through the third quarter in 27.5 seconds to take the lead and still had enough left to hold off his rivals after turning for home, the $3 chance winning by 13.5 metres.
"He's fast, he's always been super fast and I think in time he'll strengthen up and he'll be strong as well as really quick," Rue said.
"I would have liked to have wait until about 350-400 to go, but when Bid For Red went around the pace really went out of the race and I thought it was going to stay that way all the way til the top of the straight if I didn't do something.
"So I just decided to put him into it and you can only do it at that point of a race if you've got that kind of tactical speed.
"Don't get me wrong, I was worried because he hasn't had a run for about two months or a trial for that matter, so great effort."
Having his first start since saluting at Bathurst on February 19 and going from barrier 10 in the 1,730m race, Rue kept Authoritative out of the early speed battle.
It was the Amanda Turnbull trained and driven favourite Gotta Party Doll ($1.85) who found the front, with Authoritative one out and one back.
But as the bell sounded Bid For Red rolled around the field, taking up position in the death seat to lead up the outside brigade.
It was a situation Rue was not happy with so he set off with some 700m to go. It was a bold move with plenty of distance still to travel, but Authoritative pulled it off to make it four wins in six starts.
"He did feel pretty good, the only thing is he's not the best front runner. We do some work on him at home in front to try and get him to learn how to win when he's go no-one to chase," Rue said. "I probably did push him harder than I really had to, but I want him to understand that he's got to go all the way to the wire."
The Grinfromeartoear x Cher Brilliance gelding clocked a 1:55.3 mile rate in what shapes as a positive sign ahead of the Western Regional Championships which commence in Bathurst on May 6. It will feature a Group 1, $100,000 Final.
"That big series been the plan for a good while now. Probably two months ago it wasn't realistic, but now it is, especially now that it's just these horses locally," Rue said.
"Hopefully my guy will be there in the mix. I don't think there'll be too many in the series that are faster than him, they might be a bit more mature and stronger than him, but we'll give it a go.
"A massive thanks has got to go to the owners Linda and Lester [Hewitt] for letting me be so patient with him. Every time that we've given him a few runs, we've sent him back out for two or three week breaks ... every time we do it he comes back stronger, more mature."
