Strong winds prevented John Singleton attending the Canterbury meeting with his chopper, but it didn’t stop his promising three year-old and future stallion prospect This is Australia from recording an impressive debut win reports Breednet.com.au

A sibling to Group I winner All American and Group II winner More Strawberries, This is Australia is certainly bred to be good and looked exactly that when showing brilliant pace from the gates to lead throughout.

Partnered by Jim Cassidy, the Clarry Conners prepared son of More Than Ready (USA) cruised easily to the front and when challenged down the running showed plenty of fight to win by a long neck making it a running double for his sire, who won the previous event with another promising debut winner in Eyre.

“I’ve always had a great opinion of this horse and he’s got a big future,” said Clarry Conners, who will waste no time stepping the well bred colt up into Black Type company.

Conners indicated This Is Australia would have his next start at Randwick on September 20 in the Listed ATC Heritage Stakes and if he measures up would have another run before a possible trip to Melbourne for the Group I VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes on Derby Day.

A homebred for Singleton’s Strawberry Hill Stud, This is Australia was consigned to the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale where he passed in shy of his $300,000 reserve, so was retained to race.

This is Australia is the fifth winner from Milva (USA), a minor winning half-sister to US Group I winner Rock Hard Ten by Singleton’s former globe-trotting champion Strawberry Road.

Now 20, Milva has not had a live foal since This is Australia, who was apparently a stunning youngster.

“We are so happy to see him win today, it’s been a long time in progress,” said Duncan Grimley, the Bloodstock Manager for Strawberry Hill, who was on hand to see him salute.

“He was magnificent from the day he was born, but it’s taken until now to get him here.”

The next few runs will tell the tale for This is Australia and if he’s as good as connections believe, he has the pedigree to suggest stallion prospect and with my editor’s hat on, that sets up a very interesting scenario down the track.