One to follow

Talented East Indiaman looks ready to fulfil his potential after an impressive win at Pakenham Park on Thursday, February 28.

The Tony McEvoy-trained three-year-old defied a betting drift to race away and win the Evergreen Turf Benchmark 64 Handicap (1400m).

After opening at $2.15, East Indiaman drifted out to start at $3.40 but never looked in trouble for jockey Andrew Mallyon scoring a 1-3/4 length win from Explicitly ($7) with Esthetic ($11), 1-1/2 lengths away third.

Mallyon had the gelding away well and settled second behind Explicitly which set a good tempo but once in the home straight the winner lengthened and ran through the line strongly to win easily.

McEvoy’s Melbourne stable representative Darren McLeod said a few gear changes, including gelding, had seen East Indiaman mature.

“He’s much more mature now that he’s been gelded,” McLeod said.

“We’ve got a very good opinion of him, at least a Saturday class performer, maybe even better.

“We brought him to Pakenham with a few gear changes, tongue control bit off, blinkers off and they appear to have worked well and he should get plenty of confidence.”

Winning jockey Andrew Mallyon said East Indiaman had been really good.

“I was happy with the way he relaxed, I was never really concerned, and he put them away pretty easily.

“He destroyed them tonight and you would not have known he had been around.

“He’s got the makings of a nice horse.

“It will be important for him to relax when the tempo comes out of the races over a bit more ground.”

The Pakenham victory was East Indiaman’s second from just eight starts/