Lofty Strike was denied a shot at Group 1 glory at last year’s Blue Diamond meeting, but the son of Snitzel emphatically declared on Saturday that he is on track for a shot at redemption 12 months on.
The Julius Sandhu-trained three-year-old scored a dazzling first-up win under Craig Newitt in the $300,000 Group 2 Rubiton Stakes (1100m) at Sandown.
Lofty Strike won the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude at the corresponding meeting last year, before being scratched from the Group 1 Blue Diamond by order of Racing Victoria vets.
