Despite a history of persistent foot problems, General Salute has finally achieved a long-awaited victory in the Listed Winter Stakes at Rosehill, showcasing his best performance.
Co-trainer Gerald Ryan shared that the five-year-old has battled soundness issues almost since birth. He endured a year off the track following an unplaced run in the 2024 Hawkesbury Guineas, only to face a new ailment upon his return.
“He had an operation on his foot as a foal and we’ve had heaps of trouble with it,” Ryan stated. “He kept getting quarter cracks. When he had that long break (after the Guineas), we cut all his foot away and turned him out to let it grow out. He came back, then after he ran at Randwick he chipped a joint and had to have surgery. He’s had problems all his life, so it was good to see the horse do that.”
Even with his ongoing physical challenges, General Salute has proven to be a profitable galloper for his connections. Although Saturday’s Winter Stakes (1400m) marked his first win in 15 months, he has secured a top-three finish in all but one of his last eight starts. He has demonstrated competitiveness against notable rivals such as Autumn Glow in last year’s Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) and Headley Grange in the Alan Brown Stakes (1400m).
“He won nearly $400,000 last time in without winning a race,” Ryan commented.
General Salute’s ninth-place finish in the recent Civic Stakes (1400m) was an anomaly, with Ryan admitting the horse was likely asked to step up too sharply in distance from the 1100m of his initial run back.
“It was probably my fault for doing that. He should have had a shorter race in the meantime,” he conceded. “Because he was so fresh, we stuck the work into him more than we would normally do since then and, older horse, he’s copped it good.”
Guided by jockey Tim Clark, General Salute ($8.50) surged strongly along the inside rail to claim victory by a length over Mchale ($10), with Midnight Dynamite ($4.80) securing third place.
The stable will assess General Salute’s recovery before determining his participation in the Winter Challenge (1500m) at Rosehill on July 18. General Salute returned excellent value for punters at $8.50 according to leading Aussie betting sites, while Mchale and Midnight Dynamite also featured prominently in betting apps Australia markets.
