Young Werther back in style

High-class middle-distance performer Young Werther launched his spring campaign in terrific fashion at Caulfield where he was a dominant first-up winner.The Cambridge Stud graduate was presented in tip-top order by trainer Danny O’Brien to score over 2000 metres in his first appearance since he finished runner-up in the G3 Tatts Cup at Eagle Farm in June.“He’s definitely getting better with age and for the last two winters he’s gone to Queensland and come back very well each time,” O’Brien said.Young Werther has won five races and has been a multiple placegetter at Group 1 level.“He’ll run in the Turnbull Stakes, he’s run second and third in it before. He’s got a great record at Flemington and he could go from there to the Caulfield Cup,” O’Brien said.Young Werther lobbed along in second spot before putting the pressure on the leader 500 metres from home and stayed on strongly to win by three-quarters of a length.“He felt super and he really deserved that, he’s been a consistent placegetter in some big races,” rider Blake Shinn said.“He’s come back really well, he was very fit and his class shone through.”A $140,000 Karaka purchase, Young Werther is a brother to the seven-time winner Villaden and half-brother to our G2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes winner About Time and to the stakes-placed Romantic Lady.Their dam is the winning Fastnet Rock mare Romantic Time and we sold her son of Savabeel at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale earlier this year to David Ellis for $300,000.Romantic Time delivered a colt by Almanzor last season and is due to foal again to our son of Wootton Bassett.