Gold Trail scored a career highlight win and gave his sale bound full sister a tremendous boost when he won today’s Group One Railway Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie.

Showing his usual dash in the lead, Gold Trail skipped clear in the straight and then under the urging of star Aussie rider Michael Rodd was able to hold out top local sprinter Atapi in an all Magic Millions finish.

A $75,000 graduate from Furlong Stud purchased from the Gold Coast, Gold Trail was sent out one of the popular elects in his first up run.

Winning trainer Gary Portelli was thrilled with the win and said the gelding was on track for his ultimate aim for the preparation – the $1 million Telegraph Handicap at Trentham in three weeks time.

“We just had a perfect preparation,” Portelli said. “He travelled over really well and the horse was right.”

The son of Hussonet found the line just ahead of Atapi, a $20,000 bargain buy from the 2003 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.

“It’s always a trouble at 1200 metres for him. So I was just glad it wasn’t another stride.”

The gelding did a great job to hold out Atapi considering he hadn’t race since winning the Group Two Shorts Handicap in Sydney on a heavy track on October 3.

Since then he was trialled three times in Sydney, winning each one, in preparation to his trip across the Tasman.

Portelli knew his charge would lead and he just hoped his fitness would get him to the line first over a tough 1200 metres.

“There’s not too many horses who can go with the fellow when we want to go forward in shorter races and I thought over 1200 we would lead easily.”

“He just rode him a treat,” Portelli said of the ride from Michael Rodd.

“He let him roll and that’s what he’s got to do. You’ve got to let him breath. He looked after him for a few strides in the straight and then he gapped them.”

“Just thank god he hung on for the boys. It’s a great bunch of owners. The Mortons have had a lot of luck with their horses over the years.”

A run in today’s Group One race was not originally on the agenda for Gold Trail, but connections elected to run him in the Railway as a lead up to his ultimate mission in three weeks time.

“Realistically we’d only aimed at the million dollar race (Trentham Handicap) so that’s where we’ll go now.”

The win continued a great start to 2010 for Queensland based thoroughbred operation Furlong Stud.

Earlier at the Gold Coast their promising graduate Wandering Star staked her claim for a $100,000 race on Magic Millions raceday with a two length win at her second start.

In eight days time Furlong will offer a full sister to Gold Trail at the famous Magic Millions sale and the filly will turn heads.

“She’s absolutely beautiful,” Furlong Stud’s Jim Atkinson reported from the Gold Coast.

“She’s a breathtaking looking filly and she’s now a full sister to a Group One winner – she has a lot going for her.”

Furlong Stud have a proud record of producing high quality gallopers and a filly they sold last year, Paprika, beat all but Phelan Ready in last year’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic.

“We’re a boutique operation and he only have about 14 or so foals a year.”

“And our record in recent years has been very good with horses like Mitanni, Paprika and now Gold Trail.”