In the short time Dominic Sutton has held a training licence, he and his small Ballarat stable has a achieved a Flemington winner together with recently turned three-year-olds with Guineas and Derby aims.
Detroit City scored an emphatic win in the Tab We’re On over 1410-metres after impressing in winning on debut at Wodonga in July.
The $3.40 betting apps favourite settled off the leaders until jockey Billy Egan allowed the son of Toronado to let down at the 400-metre mark.
With more in hand, Sutton believes longer distance features like the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) and even the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) are within the horse’s scope.
“He’s been a horse that we put up on speed in his trials and also his last start at Wodonga so it was nice to see him tuck in behind (today) and switch off,” Sutton said.
“We wanted to see what he did today and I would say we can bring him back for the springtime so he might have a light let-up and we’ll look towards those nice races with him.
“I think in time he might be a ten furlong plus horse. His dam, Elle Gagne is out of Pour Moir who won an Epsom Derby so he’s got a bit of staying in his pedigree for a nice, big robust horse with a big stride on him.”
A $200,000 purchase at the 2023 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, Sutton added that the original intention was to sell the horse thereafter.
“We couldn’t move him,” he said.
“He had a couple of complications when he got gelded so he spent a bit of time out through his two-year-old prep so we kept him and have run the gauntlet and that is paying off.
British-born, Sutton arrived in Australia a decade ago and served as an assistant to Chris Waller and Leon and Troy Corstens.
With 20 horses under his care, Detroit City was Sutton’s fifth winner in 32 starters along with nine placings.
He also has two-time winner Feroce nearing a return who also has the Caulfield Guineas as a target.
