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Whether the talented Lost And Running is a live TAB Everest hope in the spring is a discussion for later but his easy win in Saturday’s Vinery Luskin Star Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill certainly stamped him as a classy sprinter in the making.

It’s always a good sign of strength when a front-runner posts the fastest last 200m of a race and Lost And Running did that clearly as he raced away to clinch his first Listed success.

Punter’s Intelligence sectional data showed the gelding ran 11.68 for the last 200m at the end of a last 600m of 34.91, which was third best in the race.

Lost And Running loves to roll in front and his sectionals illustrated that style. After assuming the lead with a 11.32 from the 1200m-1000m he was able to run consistent splits in the middle 600m of the Luskin Star.

From the 1000m-800m he ran 11.83 then 11.89 (800m-600m) and 11.87 (600m-400m) before Tommy Berry shook him up and his 400m-200m was 11.36 then his race best last 200m.

A couple of the chasers produced promising first-up efforts so it’ll be worth keeping an eye on Dealmaker and Military Zone going forward.

Dealmaker clocked the second fastest last 200m (11.77) and last 600m (34.84) as he ran into third while Military Zone owned the race’s best last 600m of 34.62.

Hulk continued his consistent first-up form (his record now reads six starts for one win and five seconds when resuming) with a slashing return in the Tie The Knot Handicap (1100m).

The gelding was last on the turn and forced to swing wide but reeled off a last 600m of 34.31 to be just shy of the race best posted by the winner Dream Circle (34.27).

The difference between the pair can be found in their runs in transit with Hulk covering an extra 6.6m while Dream Circle took inside runs and only charted an extra 1.9m.

Hulk recorded the race’s fastest 400m-200m of 11.11 and final 200m of 11.51 as he went down narrowly. He’s an honest performer and while his second-up record doesn’t read as strong as his fresh stats he’s rarely far away and should pick up a race in the 78-88 benchmark range.

Tycoonist was also resuming in the same event and his fifth placing had plenty of merit. He was held up for a run by Hulk early in the straight but kept coming and his last 600m of 34.62 was fourth best in the race. His best form is up to 1400m so he can improve.

Xtremetime was a strong winner of the Listed Turangga Farm Woodlands Stakes (1100m), particularly over the concluding stages as she clocked a race best 11.94 for the last 200m.

Behind the placegetters the run of Sonnet Star is well worth noting. The filly was slowly out, her first 100m was clearly the race’s slowest (8.86), and settled last.

She made her run along the inside, which was being generally avoided through the meeting, and posted easily the race’s fastest last 600m of 34.88. She was five weeks between runs into that race and is worth following if she butters up again.

A few others to note:

No Compromise was having his first run for Chris Waller in the John Messara Handicap (2000m) and the ex-Kiwi’s last 600m of 35.48 was over three lengths faster than anything else as he ran into third.

Key is another former Kiwi, she was Group 3 placed at a mile, and she was first-up for Matthew Dale in the Listed Denise’s Joy Stakes (1100m). After settling in the last few she made her run along the slower inside section and clocked 34.52 for her last 600m, just 0.03 outside the race best by Zeftabrook who finished just ahead of her.

Zing indicated she’s in for another handy campaign running 35.42 for her last 600m as she charged into third in the Les Bridge Handicap (1400m).

Fastest last 600m: Surreal Step 34.25

Watch Punter’s Intelligence with Ben Way, Brad Davidson and Brad Gray at 7pm on Tuesday on Sky Thoroughbred Central.

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