7 Dec 2022Hard To Cross added another notch to his belt on the Hillside track at Sandown over 1600 metres with successful rider Dean Yendall suggesting the three-year-old is on track for a crack at an age group feature.
The farm graduate has now won his last two starts and handled a rise in class with aplomb following his previous effort to come from the tail of the field to break his maiden at Moonee Valley.
“I think he is really going places and maybe the G1 South Australian Derby is in store for him,” Yendall said.
Trained by Patrick Payne, the son of All Too Hard settled three back off the fence before he edged closer across the top and held a sustained gallop to win further his record.
“They went quite steadily in the first third of the race and he went a bit keenly before he switched off,” Yendall said.
“I brought him to the outside and he quickened up well and dug deep.”
We bought Hard to Cross in utero with his dam Egyptian Cross for $120,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale and subsequently sold him through the Maluka Thoroughbreds draft at the 2021 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale for $140,000.
Egyptian Cross, who is a daughter of Group 1 winner Our Egyptian Raine, has since produced a yearling colt by Pierata and another colt by Almanzor this spring.