First for Lanwades stallion Bobby’s Kitten as juvenile strikes in Australia

Former Twin Hills Stud shuttler Bobby’s Kittengot off the mark with his one and only Australian-bred crop as Cecil Street Lad won the 5f Ladbrokes Handicap at Sandown on Wednesday

The two-year-old gelding is out of Just A Girl, by Not A Single Doubt.

The Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Bobby's Kitten, a resident of Kirsten Rausing's Lanwades Stud in Newmarket, has just 31 live foals bred in Australia, with Cecil Street Lad the most expensive of those when selling for A$320,000 (approx £173,000/€202,000 at the NZB Ready to Run Sale, having been bought as a yearling for A$55,000.

He got off the mark on his debut with an impressive display in defeating Seydoux by three-quarters of a length for trainer Richard Laming, who purchased him at the breeze-up sale.

Laming said: "We were confident, but if the track was a bit drier I would have been more confident. He doesn't like shifty ground, so to the horse's credit, it was a good win."

He continued: "He's a horse that has plenty of upside. We paid a little bit of money for him, but it's worth it and he's got plenty to give.

“He's bred to be a sprinter, so we'll keep him to the short distances. But the way he relaxed there and finished it off, 1,200 metres (six furlongs) won't be an issue. We'll see how he pulls up. There are plenty of races coming up, so we'll just take our time."

Cecil Street Lad is the third foal out of metro-winning mare Just A Girl, who has a foal and yearling filly, both by Smart Missile.

Bobby’s Kitten stood for a fee of £7,000 in 2021.

Subscribe to make sure you never miss updates from Australia, New Zealand and beyond and to have ANZ Bloodstock delivered to your inbox every day