Steel starts winning weekend at Belmont

Mogumber Park bobbed up with a winning graduate at Belmont on Saturday and its resident sire Natural Blitz doubled up at Kalgoorlie on Sunday.

Steel Almighty (3c Undoubtedly – Lyric Theatre by King’s Theatre) won a Pinjarra maiden on August 8 and was backed into a firm favourite before the Westspeed Hcp (1200m) on Saturday.  “I thought he could win today,” trainer John Hamilton said.  “I have a bit of an opinion of the horse.”

Hamilton trains for successful owner Russell Roberts who has raced ‘Steel’ horses like True Steel (2003 Kingston Town Stakes) and Mega Steel (2009 Belmont Classic).

The former bookmaker also campaigned Pure Steel who was an icon of harness racing in the 1970s and 1980s.  He won 68 races and the Australian Trotting Council later voted him the best pacer since World War II.

Mogumber Park sold Steel Almighty for $18,000 at the 2012 Perth Magic Millions.  “He put them away at Pinjarra and I thought he was home on the corner today,” Hamilton said.  “He’s a colt and is still a bit playful but he’s got a future.”

Natural Blitz opened Sunday’s Kalgoorlie card with Liquor City Maiden (1400m) winner I’m A Natural.  Later in the day, his class mare Ningaloo Blitz scored a tenacious victory in the Goldfields Tattersalls Cup (2300m).

Ningaloo Blitz (5m Natural Blitz – Elzahoney by El Moxie) rolled to the lead before the home turn in a repeat of her Kingsgate Cup victory on August 4 and then refused to surrender while shouldering 59kg.  “She pulled up really well after that last win,” trainer Dan Morton said.  “We kept her up here with a view to the major races over the round.”

Studmaster Colin Brown stands Natural Blitz (Dehere) for a $2,750 (inc gst) fee at his Bullsbrook-based property.