Eastwatch last to first to complete doubles for Slatterys Trainer Andy Slattery and son Andrew doubled up on the afternoon, as Eastwatch came from last to first in the straight to win the concluding Thomastown Race at Gowran Park. Successful over course and distance in his maiden in April, the Make Believe gelding found the step up into Listed company a bridge too far last time. Back down in grade this afternoon, the three-year-old was anchored last of the quartet, as Cristal Clere led. Viking Invasion swooped round the outside to throw down a strong challenge early in the straight but was unable to get by the latter. Slattery produced Eastwatch to deliver his effort over a furlong out, keeping on in determined fashion to lead close home for a one-length win. “You can see the size of him. He’s a very good horse, he’s a four-year-old all day long,” said Slattery. “We ran him in Leopardstown and dropped him out the back, he still ran green there — he’s a big backward horse. “I think the sky's the limit when he gets to four. I think he is a very good horse. “He beat a horse rated 101 there and he said he was idling the whole way up the straight. He nearly got himself beat looking around the place, he’s just a big baby. “We made the wrong decision the last day, he’s just a galloper. He wasn’t hard on him and he was running on in the finish. “We were happy but disappointed with what we did ourselves, the way we rode him. We probably should have been second or third if we rode him more forward. “Today around the track he didn’t travel early on, he’s just a big baby. “I think he could be a Melbourne Cup horse. I think he’ll get a mile-and-a-half or two miles when he steps up. “I would love to put him away for another while and wait until September or October. “The owners wanted me to bring him back and run him, I didn’t want to run him until then anyway but the owners wanted to go again. “I’ll give him another little break now.” Additional reporting by Gary Carson.
