15 Jun 2024Hard To Cross continued his red-hot form at Sandown with another effortless victory on the Hillside course.
Our homebred completed a hat-trick of wins on the track this preparation when the four-year-old comfortably accounted for his Benchmark 78 rivals over 1600 metres.
“We thought he would settle in the first four and he got into a lovely spot and Patrick and the team have done a fabulous job with this horse,” stable representative Neil Greaves said.
The son of All Too Hard was quickly into stride to lob along behind the leader and apprentice rider Jaylah Kennedy was able to angle away from the fence before the turn.
Hard To Cross ambled up to challenge 200 metres from home and then asserted his superiority to coast home by a length for the sixth win of his career.
“He’s flying and he thought about it a bit late and would have gone again if something came at him,” Kennedy said.
“He drew a low gate and we sat close to them and before the corner I popped out and he was super, he always felt like the winner.”
Hard To Cross was offered on our behalf at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale by Maluka Thoroughbreds and he was bought by was bought by Malua Bloodstock for A$140,000.
He is a son of the Commands mare Egyptian Cross, a half-sister to dual Group 3 winner Egyptian Symbol, who is a daughter of the G1 Railway Handicap winner Egyptian Ra.
Egyptian Cross is the dam of our Pierata colt Red Sea who has been a winner for us this season and finished runner-up in the G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes and she has since produced two sons of Almanzor.