Rising star scores third win

In-form local sprinter Long Knife extended his winning streak to three here in the Great Southern after a brilliant victory in the Bayer Selovin La Handicap (1050m) at Percy Spencer Racecourse on Thursday afternoon.

Prepared by Albany trainer Roy Rogers, the rising six-year-old strung a third consecutive win together after jumping straight to the front and rolling along at an impressive speed, proving far too strong for $2.80 favourite Brackets in the home straight.

Despite carrying 60.5kg in the race, the Rogers galloper responded powerfully for jockey Brad Parnham in the final 200m to score by 1¾ lengths over the Adam Durrant-trained Brackets with Tekapo Tango filling third place.

The race time of 1min. 00.90sec. was just a fraction slower than the 1050m track record time of 1:00.66 set by stablemate Potent Secret earlier this season.

The Medal of Honor gelding finished second behind Unperturbed second-up in December before notching wins at Mt Barker over 1100m and Albany over 1050m last month, which has delighted Rogers. "He is hitting the line hard and that was a super impressive win," he said.

"He carried a big weight and I'm really happy with how he's going.

"His Mt Barker win was nice but the last two have been better."

Rogers was undecided on where Long Knife, who has now won six of his 24 career starts, would race next but suggested next month's $75,000 Fitzpatrick Plate (1230m) could be an option.

"There is a race for him (on Saturday in Albany) but he does go well fresh," he said.

"We may look at the Fitzpatrick Plate or perhaps go to town but I don't want to clash with Potent Secret so I will discuss it with the connections."

Since acquiring the promising galloper from the Graeme Ballantyne stables, Long Knife has won three of his five starts under Rogers.

The victory shot Parnham to the lead in the Great Southern jockeys' premiership with nine wins in season 2015-16.

The talented Perth-based jockey has a winning strike rate of 20 per cent in the Great Southern this season and leads defending champion Shaun McGruddy who sits on eight.