Happy to get #69 in 2011 as Dynamic Platamone Castle Wins

Platamone Castle (Lonhro ex Al Rosolini) resumed form a spell for leading Melbourne Trainer Mick Price in Race 8 the Bahcon Steel Country Showcase a 0-72 feature race over 1430m at Taralgon on Sunday with competent horseman Dale Smith in the saddle.

He dominated his opposition to score a 2.5 lengths x 1.3 length win against a field of 12.

Starting at the incredibly generous price of 7/1, Platamone Castle looked a class above his opposition in the parade ring and raced as good as he looked, despite previously not having won first up and then, a flood of money for the favourite "Fiddle" who was sensationally backed from $3.80 into $2.20 but could only manage to be runner-up.

Jumping away well from the centre of the field, Platamone Castle rolled forward early, settling 3 deep, one pair back after a furlong and was stuck out there for the first 400m before being able to work over and get the one / one trail behind the leaders.

Platamone Castle remained in this position for the next 550m before peeling out 3 deep again as they swung into the straight. Dale Smith urged Platamone Castle forward to go up and attack for the lead. In a couple of bounds Platamone Castle surged to the front and then in a twinkling, he gapped his rivals to go on and win eased in 1:26.00 on a Dead Track.

Commentators were wrapped with the dominance of the win and were singing his praises noting that, since coming down to Mick Price's Caulfield stables from Randwick, the Price stable has a "real find on their hands".

After a 55 week spell between Randwick and his first ever run for Mick Price, he ran an encouraging third but then broke his maiden at his second run for Mick's stables. He went on to record 3 wins in a row before a couple of 5th placings and then a spell.

He was back to the races on Sunday, first up after a break and was immediately being touted as a potential city horse such was his dominance that he showed. He had done enough to be considered a potential future Saturday horse this preparation.

Dale Smith reported that he was a good horse last prep, who wasn't comfortable with racing as he didn't really know what to do and was still so mentally immature that the penny had not dropped. However with the break and extra training under Mick Price, he is now a racehorse and knows what he is doing. He was tractable and an easy ride today and stretched out nicely. He was very confident the horse would run well based upon his trial and was confident going into today's event. Dale reported that he will strip so much better for today's run and there are some nice races in him in the future. He pulled up a bit on the big side and had a good blow, so will strip a lot better at his second up run. Without getting to far ahead of ourselves, the horse appears to have the ability to keep winning in the right grade before taking on much better company.

Platamone Castle has now raced on 12 occasions : 4 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds, 1 fourth, 2 fifths. He has an interesting pedigree being by a super sire of middle distance horses from a mare who is a 1/2 sister to Patou (dam of Slipper Winner Polar Success).

It's hard to comprehend for an owner how good their horse is. It's a fact that to date, from his 12 starts, Platamone Castle has won prize money on all 12 occasions (100%).