Victorian trainer Julius Sandhu can never be accused of doing things by halves.
Sandhu will have his first Sydney runner at Randwick on Saturday and it will be in the cauldron that is the Group 1 T J Smith Stakes (1200m).
Lofty Strike will take his place alongside three-time race winner Nature Strip, the Everest quinella of Giga Kick and Private Eye, and star Godolphin filly In Secret.
And make no mistake, the colt has earned his way there.
Passed-in as a yearling for $280,000 despite boasting a stallion’s pedigree, the product of Snitzel and 2014 Golden Slipper winner Overreach had imperfect legs and was a wind sucker.
If he wasn’t, its doubtful he would have landed on the radar of owner Paul Lofitis and trainer Julius Sandhu, who decided to overlook his quirks and take a chance on the colt.
“It obviously doesn’t inhibit him in any way from performing but when you’re at the sales looking for yearlings and you want to buy something that’s half a million or a million dollars, you want everything to be perfect. He probably wouldn’t have passed a few of the rigorous tests,” Sandhu said.
“So he fell through and we were able to pick him up.”
Lofty Strike has raced eight times for three wins and over $1 million in prizemoney, although it hasn’t been all roses.
The horse was one of the leading chances for last year’s Blue Diamond Stakes but was controversially scratched after veterinarians deemed him to be lame and placed him under a racing embargo.
With those issues finally behind him, Lofty Strike has been in the form of his life.
After capturing the Rubiton Stakes first up, he was runner-up in both the Oakleigh Plate and Newmarket Handicap, splitting In Secret and I Wish I Win last start.
The latter two are among the leading fancies for the T J Smith, Lofty Strike is at $18 and while he meets both slightly worse at the weights, Sandhu cannot fault him.
“Our target was always three races, that was to get him to the Oakleigh Plate, get him to the Newmarket and then to the T J Smith,” Sandhu said.
“Craig Newitt came and gave him a good old gallop (clockwise at Cranbourne) and he got off and said he’s an out-and-out professional, he just railed round the bend, changed legs and off he went.
“I know race day pressure is different to a gallop but from what I can see, there’s nothing I’m particularly worried about.”
Lofty Strike has barrier 10 and will be ridden by Newitt, who won the feature Sydney sprint in 2014 on Lankan Rupee.
After the Blue Diamond drama and a brace of placings in big races, Sandhu would love nothing more than to see the wind-sucking yearling with the dodgy leg emerge as Group 1 T J Smith Stakes winner.
“If it was to come to fruition on Saturday, the tears of joy would be more in line with the horse than with anything else,” Sandhu said.
“He’s doing the work, I just have the privilege and opportunity to train a horse as special as him.
“If he wins that Group One, all kudos to him.”
